New Delhi/Malkangiri: Acting on a petition of a human rights campaigner Subash Mohapatra from Odisha, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the Ministry of Home Affairs to release funds as per the central government’s scheme to provide compensation to family of victims killed in Maoist violence.
The apex human rights body on June 6 directed the Ministry to submit its response within six weeks.
According to sources, Mohapatra had raised the issue of non-payment of the compensation to families of two tribal persons, Deba Sodi and Irama Banjamin, who had been killed by Maoists at a Praja court in a dense forest in Malkangiri district on January 25, 2014.
The victim’s family received only Rs 2 lakh from the Odisha Government but the remaining amount of Rs 3 lakh had not been released by the Central Government, observed the NHRC.
Earlier on November 29, 2016 the NHRC had directed Malkangiri Collector to furnish the details of the steps taken by him for obtaining funds from the Central Government for payment of the same to the family of the deceased.
The Collector, in a report dated January 30, 2017 intimated that necessary communications have been sent to Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs. He requested the central authorities to release the required funds for payment of the same to the victims’ family.
NHRC carefully considered the contents of the report and directed to the Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs to ensure sanction of necessary funds as per the scheme of the Central Government for payment of the same to the family of the victim.
It may be mentioned that Mohapatra had lodged a complaint with the NHRC on January 28, 2014. He had even mentioned that families of 435 deceased persons, who were killed by Maoists, have not been paid compensation due to non-availability of central assistance.