KOCHI: Family of an autorickshaw driver, who died in an accident caused by a stray dog, will get the highest amount of compensation given to any claimant in the stray dog issue.
Justice Siri Jagan Committee, constituted to fix the compensation in stray dog menace, fixed Rs 25,20,000 as compensation to Biju’s family hailing from Thiruvankulam in Tripunithura municipality limits.
The tragedy struck Biju’s family on April 4, 2019. Memories of that fateful day are still fresh in the mind of his wife Soorya. “Stray dog menace was severe at that time due to waste dumping. My husband was driving the autorickshaw when a stray dog ran across the road. He swerved the vehicle to avoid hitting the dog. But the vehicle toppled and my husband sustained grievous injuries. He died before reaching the hospital,” said Soorya. She said the family approached the committee after one of the acquaintances told them about the compensation to victims of stray dog menace. Biju was aged 41years at the time of the accident.
Other claimants in the incident are Biju’s parents Kamala and Pavithran and the couple’s daughter Shivani. Tripunithura municipality has to pay the amount with interest. Currently, Soorya works as a senior associate in a company in Infopark.
The previous highest compensation amount given by the committee was Rs 18 lakh to a Mala native. Sources said the committee receives many requests seeking compensation in accidents caused by stray dogs running across the road and vehicles toppling while trying to avoid hitting the dogs.
The committee also receives requests for compensation from people bitten by pet dogs. The committee discards such requests.
In some cases local bodies refuse to disburse the amount despite government order, forcing the claimant to knock on various doors to get the amount. Committee sources said the claimant should approach the state government if local bodies fail to disburse the amount. “The latest such incident is in Kulanada panchayat in Pathanamthitta, which refused to disburse Rs 30,000 compensation to a claimant,” said the source.
