Chandigarh: 12 cases of acid attacks in 5 years but only one victim’s kin seek damages

According to provisions, a rape victim gets a compensation of Rs 3 lakh while the family of a victim who is murdered after the rape gets Rs 4 lakh as compensation. There are two provisions for awarding compensation in case of an acid attack. In the first provision, if the victim’s face is disfigured after the acid attack, she gets Rs 3 lakh as compensation but in case, the victim suffers burn injuries due to the acid attack which are not life-threatening, the victim is eligible to get a compensation of Rs 50,000.

[related-post]

The DLSA authorities attribute this low rate of compensation distribution to lack of awareness among people about the legal provisions for compensation. Any acid or rape victim can directly claim compensation after completing the necessary formalities with the DLSA. The authority is responsible for creating awareness among people about the welfare schemes for such victims.

Agreeing that the compensation distribution rate is very low, DLSA secretary Monica Lambha blames it on lack of awareness. She claims they are going to start drives in the district to create awareness among people about the services being rendered by DLSA.

“We are planning to install hoardings at public places highlighting the working of DLSA. We appeal to the families of victims of acid, rape and other crimes to contact us for legal help as well as compensation under the provisions made by the government,” Lambha told Chandigarh Newsline.