Dabwali fire: Committee’s tenure extended by three months for report

Justice T P Garg, a retired judge from Allahabad, is inspecting the 1995 Dabwali school fire accident. The report is yet to be handed over to the advocates representing the victims and the Haryana government.

The amount proposed by Garg is a recommendation and not a direction.

The recommendation will be approved by the High Court and then implemented by the Haryana government.

Garg had demanded an extension of six months to prepare the report. Refusing to give six months time, the division bench headed by Chief Justice Tirath Singh Thakur granted

only three months extension. The Chief Justice has made it clear that if Garg demands extension in future, he will have to list reasons for it.

The court also expressed deep concern for the victims of the incident. On the other hand, the counsel representing the Haryana government also averred that the interim report, which is presently with the Registrar General, should be handed over to the Haryana government, so that it could be implemented and compensation can be awarded to the kin of the injured and the deceased. The kin of nearly 400 children and teachers are awaiting the amount of compensation even after the 11 extensions, each of six months, were granted to the one-man commission by the High Court.

A commission was formed on January 29, 2003, to ascertain the amount of compensation to be awarded to the kin of the deceased and those injured in the incident.