The Delhi High Court has directed the Delhi Government to take steps to ensure the payment of an extra compensation of Rs. 20 lakhs to the families of individuals who lost their lives due to manual scavenging, as mandated by a Supreme Court ruling from last year.

The single-headed bench of Justice Subramonium Prasad emphasized the Court's expectations that the State will make efforts to distribute the remaining Rs. 20 lakh to all individuals in similar circumstances, rather than requiring the families of those who lost their lives in manual scavenging to resort to filing writ petitions in court.

The court was addressing a petition submitted by several widows, requesting the Delhi Government to fulfill the Supreme Court's ruling in Balram Singh v. Union of India by disbursing Rs. 20 lakh to them.

The Supreme Court had mandated an increase in compensation for sewer deaths to Rs. 30 lakhs. Furthermore, for cases involving permanent disablement resulting from sewer operations, the compensation was directed to be increased to Rs. 20 lakhs, while for other forms of disablement, it should not be less than Rs. 10 lakhs.

The Supreme Court had ordered that compensation for sewer deaths should be raised to Rs. 30 lakhs. Additionally, in cases of permanent disability resulting from sewer operations, the compensation was directed to be increased to Rs. 20 lakhs, with not less than Rs. 10 lakhs for other types of disablement.

The widows contended that while the Delhi Government had provided Rs. 10 lakhs to them and others in similar circumstances, they were also entitled to the remaining payment of Rs. 20 lakhs in accordance with the Supreme Court's directive.

Granting the plea, the court expressed that when an individual seeks legal recourse and secures a favorable declaration of law, it is anticipated that the state will extend the same benefit to all individuals in similar circumstances without necessitating them to approach the courts individually.

The court further emphasized that the widows should have received the same additional payment of Rs. 20 lakhs as per the Supreme Court's ruling. Consequently, the court instructed the Delhi government to disburse the outstanding amount to the widows within six weeks and to make efforts to extend the same payment to all individuals in similar circumstances.

Title: SMT. MAYA KAUR & ORS. v. UNION OF INDIA & ORS.