Of 495 claim applications received in Chandigarh, panel settles 184 in over 1 year

The committee set up for providing compensation to the victims of dog bite or accidents caused by stray cattle and animals has received 495 applications in the past more than a year. Of these, 476 applications were received in cases of stray dog bite, and the remaining pertained to stray dog, stray cattle and blue bull accidents, and bites by pet dogs, monkeys, cats and snakes.

Of the total applications received so far, 184 cases have been settled, while 291 are pending for verification. As many as 171 cases were found eligible for compensation and the victims paid Rs 28.30 lakh. The remaining 13 cases were rejected, said Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav.

In another case approved directly by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the victim was awarded Rs 2.50-lakh compensation.

Out of the total 184 cases disposed of, the victims had failed to lodge DDR (Daily Diary Report) or submit the bank passbook in 13 cases.

In compliance with the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the UT Administrator on July 2, 2024, constituted the Chandigarh Stray Animals Incidents/Accidents Compensation Committee. It determines the compensation to be paid on account of claims made regarding incidents or accidents caused by stray cattle and animals, including cows, bulls and dogs. The victims or their family members have to file an application before the committee for the grant of compensation, along with requisite supporting documents.

In case the incident is fatal, a death certificate is required along with a copy of FIR/DDR indicating death due to an accident caused by stray cattle/animal/dog bite.

In case of permanent disability, a copy of FIR/DDR indicating an accident caused by stray cattle/animal/dog bite, a permanent disability certificate from medical authority (showing permanent disability of 70% or above) issued after the scheme’s implementation date and the hospital discharge summary is also required.

In case of injury, the applicant has to furnish a copy of FIR/DDR indicating the incident, a medical report/treatment documents indicating the type of injury, its degree and expenses incurred on the treatment and any other document deemed necessary to establish the claim’s genuineness as well as the claimant’s identity for settlement of claim.

In case of death, a compensation of Rs 5 lakh is provided to the legal heirs of the deceased. In case of permanent disability, the amount of compensation is Rs 2 lakh. In case of injury, the amount of compensation will be assessed by the committee, subject to a maximum amount prescribed in the relevant policy. For dog bite cases, the compensation include a minimum of Rs 10,000 per tooth mark, a minimum of Rs 20,000 per 10.2 sq cm of wound where the flesh is pulled off the body.

However, claims must be filed within three months from the date of the incident. The committee verifies facts and seeks recommendations from departments or agencies concerned.

The awards has to be passed by the committee within four months of receiving claims and requisite documents. In case the claim is devoid of merit, the rejection will also be passed within four months.

The committee is headed by the Deputy Commissioner, while Superintendent of Police/DSP (Traffic), SDM concerned; Secretary, State Transport Authority; and Medical Superintendent, GMSH-16, are its members. The Additional Joint Commissioner, MC, is the Member Convener. The committee also has eight additional members on case-to-case basis.

To simplify the application process, the National Informatics Centre (NIC) has been asked to develop an online portal for receiving applications and awarding compensation. Until the portal is operational, manual applications are accepted at the office of the MC in Sector 17.

City dog lovers protest MC drive

A large numbers of residents protested against the MC’s drive to catch stray dogs in the city.

Around 40-50 animal lovers staged a protest in front of the dogs centre at Raipur Kalan here today after the MC teams captured stray dogs from Sector 7 and shifted these to the centre.

One of the protesters said he had been feeding stray dogs in Sector 7 for many years. Another resident Charanjit Singh said the MC officers were not giving any information regarding the condition of the dogs captured under the drive.

The protesters said removing stray dogs from sectors was not a solution. They urged the the authorities should immediately release the dogs and stop the drive.