Gujarat bridge collapse: HC bats for lifetime pension, help for victims’ kin

Observing that one-time compensation is not going to help the kin of the victims of the Morbi suspension bridge collapse, the Gujarat High Court asked the Oreva Group, the company responsible for operation and maintenance of the ill-fated bridge, to provide life-time pension to the elderly who lost their sons and jobs or stipend to widows.

The division bench of Chief Justice Sunil Agarwal and Justice Aniruddha Mayee was hearing a suo motu PIL on the October 30, 2022 incident in which 135 persons lost their lives after a British-era suspension bridge collapsed. According to the government, there are ten women who were widowed and seven children who were orphaned.

“Give jobs to widows, or stipend if they do not want to do jobs. You have to support them throughout their life. You have completely upturned their life. They may not be in a position to work. There are women who have never worked, never went out of their homes. How can you expect them to come out of their home and go to work somewhere?” Chief Justice Agarwal told the firm.