A parliamentary panel has expressed "unhappiness" over the delay on the part of the railways in settling compensation claims, and asked the ministry to clear pending cases within six months.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Railways, in a report tabled in Parliament today, said there were around 230 claims pending with the railways for compensation in case of causalities occurred in rail accidents, as on March 2015.
According to the panel, out of the total such cases, 46 have been pending for up to one year, 63 for one-three years, 89 for three-five years and 32 cases for more than five years.
"This is very alarming position. The committee feels that the next of kin who have lost their near and dear ones and others for compensation should be paid the same at the earliest without holding them back. The committee, therefore, calls upon the ministry to ensure that all the pending cases for compensation claims should be settled within a time frame of six months," it said.
The railways, however, claimed that the disposal of compensation cases has improved. As on November 2016, it said, the number of pending claim cases had come down to 74 from 230 in March 2015.
According to the railways, out of the total such cases, 29 claims have been pending for up to one year, 10 for up to one to three years and 35 for more than years three years.
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