Kasaragod: There is a flickering hope that some of the bereaved families, which have demanded equal compensation for deaths of their relatives who died in air crash in May 22 2010 at Bajpe forest, many secure the compensation amounts they were asking fir since an year now. Kasaragod MLA, N.A. Nellikkunnu, met Vayalar Ravi, Union Minister for Civil Aviation during UDF government’s swear-in ceremony on Monday (May 23) at Tiruvananthapuram and extracted a promise from him to sort out the delayed question of disbursing equal shares of compensation from Air India to the orphaned families of the dead. 158 passengers in a Boing plane from Dubai to Mangalore died in the morning crash in May 2010. Nellikkunnu is the Indian Union Muslim League leader in Kerala assembly as MLA designate.
The minister Ravi stated to have informed the IUML legislator that the issue pending on air crash. Nellikkunnu in turn promised to go to New Delhi if need be, to find out when the payments would be made, since the sufferers were very poor.
Reliable sources informed that out of 158 dead on 22 May, 2010 at Bajpe, 58 were Keralites and 55 of the victims’ families received varying reimbursements on lives lost. Private insurance Cos., had asked for income salary certificates of the dead to decide on how much to settle on each case.
Montreal Treaty assures compensation in the event of death of an air passenger upto Rs.75 lakh. But here, 4 families received 99 lakh each and several others got Rs.25 lakh to 45 lakh as per case taken up.
A majority of the luckless poor families is still waiting a fair share of compensation under law from Air India’s attorneys. Six persons are stated to have escaped death in the Bajpe tragedy.