Assistance to families who lost income-earning members in 2022 Gujarat bridge collapse: High Court to Corporation

The tragedy of October 30, 2022 left 135 people dead.

Ahmedabad:

The Gujarat High Court on Friday asked the Oreva Group, which operates and maintains the Morbi Bridge, which collapsed on October 30, 2022, killing 135 people, to provide jobs or monthly remuneration to families who have lost their earning members.

A separate PIL hearing in the matter is being heard by a division bench of Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice Aniruddha Mayee.

It also asked the company to provide a two-bedroom house in Mumbai’s “Parel or Lower Parel area” as compensation to a man who was injured in the bridge collapse and is currently in the Bandra Kurla complex. Compensation for working 23 year old woman. Metropolis.

During a hearing on Friday, the judge asked the government and the company to speed up the process of setting up a trust to look after the victims’ compensation and rehabilitation.

Regarding the rehabilitation of those who now suffer from partial or total disabilities, the court said, “These persons must be permanently adopted. They must be cared for throughout their lives. This is their (Orewa’s) creation. An artificial creation,” the Chief Justice said explain.

Chief Advocate Kamal Trivedi told the judge that four of the 10 widowed women accepted Orewa’s job offer.

The judges also heard that two families who had six daughters (three from each family), including five minors, lost their earning members in the tragedy.

The court ordered the company to provide additional financial support for the children’s studies and other costs of basic facilities.

The bench also asked companies to examine how work arrangements are provided to widows or if monthly remuneration can be provided to them in case they are unable to work due to some reasons.

Chief Justice Agarwal said, “Provide jobs to all those who have lost their income-earning members. Also work on the rehabilitation of the injured victims so that they can live independently. In case of non-availability of jobs, provide monthly remuneration.”

While reviewing the government’s affidavit, the chief justice asked about a 23-year-old woman who suffered a fractured humerus in the bridge collapse.

Trivedi told the court that the woman was currently working with a multinational financial company in BKC, Mumbai.

Chief Justice Agarwal in her order directed the Orewa Group to buy her a two-bedroom house in any “good area near her office” like Parel or Lower Parel as compensation to her .

“Buy a two BHK house in any good area and it will be her compensation. As she works in BKC, Lower Parel is good. We are not kidding. She has to be on her own. This will be written in our order,” the Chief Justice said.

Meanwhile, Mr. Trivedi informed the bench that Orewa Group CMD Jaysukh Patel was granted bail by the Supreme Court on Friday.

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