The Supreme Court has ordered Kerala government to pay a comepnsation of Rs 33.37 lakh to 19 dog bite victims across the state. The apex court accepted the third report submitted by Sirijagan committee and ordered the state to pay the compensation with a timeframe, reported Times of India.
The issue hogged national headlines after a senior citizen was mauled by stray dogs resulting in his death. The number of dog-bites in Kerala touched around 53,000 in 2016.
The Times of India report also said that the local self-government department has given instruction to the secretaries of the local bodies to comply with the SC order and pay the aforesaid amount. Additionally, the local bodies have to pay the amount from their own fund.
Thiruvananthapuram corporation will have to pay in four cases. The highest compensation will be paid to one P S Biju, a claimant in Mala who will be getting Rs 18.74 lakh. Shemi from Kollam corporation will have to be given the second highest sum, Rs 7.6 lakh.
Earlier this month, the Supreme Court had issued notices to the ‘Stray Dogs Eradication Group’ and the Attingal Municipality in the state on a contempt plea that alleged several stray dogs were butchered in April, despite several SC orders urging them to abstain from the act. The SC in 2015 had directed all local bodies and Panchayats to abstain from culling stray dogs, and had observed that “subterfuge or innovative methods” to circumvent the order of the Court will be not be tolerated.
