Orissa HC orders 10L on girl's death in school-wall-collapse

Cuttack: In a seven-year-old girl's death due to the collapse of a wall, the Orissa High Court has directed the state government to pay Rs 10 lakh as compensation to her father for "avoidable" death, PTI reported.

A bench of Chief Justice S Muralidhar ruled that the responsibility for the girl's death "definitely rests with the State" as the negligence of authorities by use of defective materials to construct a kitchen on the school premises, which was already established during the inquiry.

The judge said in his nine-page ruling, "The death of the young child was totally unnecessary and avoidable. The responsibility for death definitely rests with the State."

On October 3, 2013, a newly constructed kitchen shed collapsed over a Class 1 student, Raimati Soren, killing her. Soren, a resident of the Kolhabeda Ashram School hostel in Ghasipura block 100km from Cuttack, was brushing her teeth beside the kitchen shed.

Inquiries followed have found that the wall was built illegally and without a proper foundation.

Soren's father had filed a writ petition, and hearing the same, the court said that if the shed had been built following proper safety measures, the death wouldn't have occurred.

The bench, which includes Justice R K Pattanaikm, said that as some amount was already given to the father, the balance must also be given to him in eight weeks.

Soren's father received a compensation of Rs 50,000 earlier and Rs 10,000 from the District Red Cross Society Fund.

The court pointed out that the girl's death was among many similar incidents in Odisha's schools and directed district collectors to ensure strict compliance with the Supreme Court directions on measures for the prevention of fatal accidents of children.