J-K rights body recommends Rs 35 lakh for terror survivor

The Jammu and Kashmir Human Rights Commission on Friday ordered relief of Rs 35 lakh to a person who lost seven family members in a 1999 terror attack in Poonch district.

Roop Lal, a resident of Mendhar, had pleaded with the rights commission after the state authorities had granted him only Rs 1 lakh as ex gratia compensation following the July 2, 1999 attack.

The rights body also expressed concern over the 18-year delay in providing adequate compensation to Lal.

"After careful scrutiny of the material available on record, the Commission is satisfied that the complainant has made out a good case for grant of compensation to the tune of Rs 35 lakh.

"The Chief Secretary of the state is directed to pay sum of Rs 5 lakh each to the complainant against the killing of seven members of his family," SHRC member Jung Bahadur Singh Jamwal said in his order released by the Commission.

It also said that delay on the part of the government to provide adequate compensation to Lal amounted to glaring "violation of human rights".

"The incident is rare, but the authorities concerned with the payment of compensation were reluctant and ignorant about the pain and sufferings of the complainant.

"The compensation whatever was due within ambit of various beneficial schemes floated by the government should have been extended to the complainant," Jamwal said.