Delhi Govt challenges Rs 30 lakh compensation order

 The Delhi government on Friday approached the high court here against an order of a single judge directing it to pay enhanced compensation of Rs 30 lakh to the widow of a sanitation worker who died while manual scavenging in 2017.

The Delhi government’s standing counsel Santosh Kumar Tripathi told a bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan that the widow was paid Rs 10 lakh compensation the same month her husband died as per the then mandate.

Therefore the Supreme Court decision which subsequently increased the compensation payable to the dependents of the victims of manual scavenging to Rs 30 lakh would not apply to her, the counsel said.

The bench, also comprising Justice Manmeet PS Arora, issued notice to the widow on the government’s appeal but asked the authorities to pay her the enhanced compensation in six weeks.