New Delhi / August 21, 2023 (SPN) | A Supreme Court committee led by former judge Gita Mittal suggested the need to upgrade the compensation scheme for the strife-torn people of Manipur.
The SC Committee was tasked with overseeing the relief and rehabilitation efforts for victims of violence in Manipur and submitted three comprehensive reports to the Supreme Court on Monday.
These reports covered a range of critical aspects, including the necessity of enhancing the compensation scheme for the state’s strife-affected individuals.
The Supreme Court announced its intention to issue orders on Friday, aimed at facilitating the functioning of this three-member committee. The panel, led by Justice Mittal, was established following an order by the top court on August 7, with a specific focus on providing relief, rehabilitation, and compensation to the victims of violence.
This committee is composed of former women high court judges, including Justices (retd) Shalini P Joshi and Asha Menon.
During the proceedings, a bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra underscored the significance of the committee’s work.
The court instructed that copies of the three submitted reports be shared with all concerned lawyers. Advocate Vrinda Grover, representing one of the victims, was directed to gather suggestions for the panel’s consideration.
The reports filed by the Justice Mittal-led committee highlighted critical issues, such as the need to re-issue essential documents and the requirement for upgrading the Manipur victim compensation scheme.
The bench noted the importance of aligning the state’s compensation scheme with the National Legal Services Authority policy and emphasized the necessity of appointing an expert to manage the administration of the scheme.
In an effort to streamline the process and enable direct communication, the court affirmed that the committee will be submitting its reports directly to the Supreme Court. The bench is currently reviewing approximately 10 petitions related to the escalating violence in Manipur.
These petitions encompass demands for court-monitored investigations into cases of violence, alongside measures aimed at providing relief and rehabilitation to the affected individuals.
The initial trigger for the ethnic violence in Manipur on May 3 was a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ in the hill districts, organized in protest of the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status.
Tragically, over 160 individuals have lost their lives, and several hundred have been injured in the subsequent events, marking the urgent need for comprehensive measures to address the aftermath of the violence.