Kerala Chief Minister Chandy promises to help plane crash victims’ kin

Kerala Chief Minister Chandy promises to help plane crash victims’ kin

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, March 7, 2012 : Oommen Chandy, the chief minister of Kerala, said in assembly that he will do everything in his power to ensure that families of the Mangalore plane crash will be adequately compensated.

 

 

The chief minister was responding to a report submitted by K. Kunhiraman, the CPI (M) legislator, who stated that the legal representatives of Air India (AI) were attempting to get into an agreement with the families of the victims out of court.

Kunhiraman has informed that of the 158 victimes, 58 are from Kerala; and of those 58, 40 are from Kasargod and 17 are from his constituency. Although the Kerala High Court had ruled that they ought to be compensated as per international standards, the lawyers of AI are trying to contact the victims’ families and to convince them to agree for an unfair out-of-court settlement.

Speaking on the issue, Chandy said that the government of Kerala had stated several times that victims’ kin must be compensated as per international standards. He said that, of the 70 cases that have been completely settled, some were settled as per the Montreal Convention and some according to the Carriage by Air Act of 1972. AI has so far given away Rs. 60.44 crore as compensation.

The chief minister further said that dispute within families have prevented complete settlement of 7 cases. He promised that he has already taken up this issue once and that he will take up the issue once against with the centre.

Kunhiraman also told the house that compensation was calculated taking into consideration the age and jobs of the victims, which is not fair.

Chandy said that the state government has already given Rs. 3 lakh to each family and that the central government has paid Rs. 2 lakh as compensation. He said that he will take the required steps to see that the victims’ families are compensated as per international standards at the earliest possible.