Pb Cabinet okays scheme to compensate acid attack victims

The Punjab Cabinet today approved a scheme to compensate victims of various crimes, including a minimum compensation of Rs three lakh to an acid attack victim.

Under the Punjab Victim or Their Dependents Compensation Scheme, notified by the department of home affairs and justice, the state government will allocate a separate budget every year to the department of legal and legislative affairs, according to a Punjab government release issued here.

While the Centre will provide a one-time assistance of Rs 4.01 crore to crime victims and their dependants, the state will make budgetary provisions thereafter for the same, it said.
 

The department of home affairs and justice will be the nodal department for regulating, administering and monitoring the scheme, and will also ensure release of appropriate amount to the state legal services authority, which will further disburse the amount to district legal services authorities as per their requirements, the release said.

In compliance with the orders of the Supreme Court, the state government would provide a minimum compensation of Rs three lakh each to the victims of acid attack.

In case of death in an acid attack, the family will be provided an assistance of Rs five lakh.

In addition, the government will give 100 per cent medical reimbursement to a victim of acid attack, including medicine, food, bedding and plastic surgery/reconstructive surgery, if required, at government-approved hospitals.

"Compensation of Rs three lakh would be provided to a victim of rape and Rs four lakh in murder with rape case, Rs two lakh in case of physical abuse of minor, Rs one lakh for rehabilitation of victim of human trafficking, Rs 50,000 for sexual assault, Rs two lakh in case of death.

"Rs two lakh for permanent disability (80 per cent or more), Rs one lakh for partial disability (40 per cent to 80 per cent), Rs two lakh in case of burns affecting greater than 25 per cent of the body (excluding acid attack cases), Rs 50,000 loss of foetus and Rs 1.5 lakh for the victim of loss of fertility."

"If the victim is under 14 years of age, the compensation would be increased by 50 per cent over the amount specified in the Scheme," the release said.