Rs 1.8 cr compensation awarded to victims of boat tragedy

Vadodara, Nov 5 (UNI) In a significant order, the National Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum has awarded a compensation of Rs 1.8 crore to the families of 22 victims of the 1993 boat tragedy in the famous Sursagar lake here.

The national forum had yesterday given the award on a petition filed by the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) challenging the the 1994 ruling of Gujarat State Consumer Forum which had ordered VMC and Oriental Insurance Company to pay Rs 72 lakh as compensation to the families of the deceased.

In the evening of August 11, 1993, 22 people, including nine women and children, had met with a watery grave while boating in the Sursagar Lake on the occasion of Janmasthami. Following the tragedy, the corporation cancelled the contract given to Ripal Acqua Sports Company for running the boating service in the lake.

Later, 17 of the 22 victims' families moved the state consumer forum against VMC and the private company holding the boating contract. In 1994, the state forum held VMC and the contractor guilty of negligence and awarded a compensation of Rs 72 lakh.

Though the insurance company agreed to pay Rs 26 lakh, the corporation filed an appeal against the order in the national consumer forum. According to NGO Jagrut Nagarik sources, which fought the case on behalf of the victims' families, the national consumer forum had not only rejected the VMC petition but also enhanced the compensation amount.

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