Widow wins legal battle for relief after three-year delay

A Kurukshetra court has directed the District Social Welfare Officer (DSWO) to release Rs 20,000 in compensation, along with 6% annual interest, to a widow whose application under the National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS) had been wrongly rejected.

Mamta Devi’s husband, Ramchandra, a Below Poverty Line (BPL) worker, died in a hit-and-run accident in September 2021. Since the vehicle remained unidentified, she was ineligible for compensation through the Motor Accidents Claim Tribunal. She later applied for financial assistance under NFBS but was denied due to an alleged age discrepancy — officials claimed Ramchandra was 60 years old, exceeding the scheme’s eligibility limit.

However, Mamta Devi provided voter ID records proving that her husband was 59 years and 8 months old at the time of his death. Despite this, her claim remained unresolved for months, forcing her to approach the court in 2022.

The court criticised the delay, stating that the scheme was meant to provide immediate relief to vulnerable families, not prolong their financial distress. It ordered the DSWO to release the compensation within two months, failing which the department would have to pay an increased 9% interest rate.

Mamta Devi’s lawyer, advocate VK Sharma, welcomed the verdict, emphasising that the judgment sets a precedent for holding officials accountable for bureaucratic lapses.