Supreme Court Orders Nationwide Drive To Disburse Pending Compensation From MACTs and Labour Courts
A Bench comprising Justices Abhay S. Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan laid down comprehensive procedural safeguards to ensure the timely disbursement of compensation. These include mandatory bank account verification, streamlined documentation, direct bank transfers, and the creation of a centralised dashboard to track pending amounts.
The Court also mandated the involvement of para-legal volunteers, district administration, and the police to trace claimants, and asked State Governments to assist the Legal Services Authorities in implementing these directions.
A Coordinated Effort Across High Courts
Data submitted during the proceedings revealed staggering figures: Gujarat alone has over ₹288 crore pending under MACT and Labour Court awards, followed closely by other major jurisdictions. The Court relied heavily on submissions from various High Courts and the amicus curiae to understand and address the scale of the issue.
Noteworthy Contributions
Significantly, the compilation of responses from multiple High Courts was coordinated and submitted by Ms. Vishakha, Advocate-on-Record for the High Court of Gujarat. Her submissions helped the Court contextualise the extent of unclaimed compensation and facilitated the framing of uniform directions to ensure that justice reaches those long entitled to it.
Her compilation included not only the raw figures from different states but also practical suggestions that contributed to the Court's final roadmap.
Looking Ahead
All High Courts have been directed to implement the directions at the earliest and submit compliance reports by July 30, 2025. The matter is now listed for further monitoring on August 18, 2025. This judgment is expected to significantly streamline the disbursement of compensation and reaffirm the Court's commitment to ensuring that legal entitlements translate into real-world relief.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
No evidence of negligence: HC quashes rash driving case against student
Mumbai: The Bombay high court has quashed a criminal case against a man who drove his car allegedly in a rash and negligent manner during the Covid-19 lockdown along Marine Drive. "The alleged incident occurred during the pandemic on a Sunday morning at around 7.15 am. Due to the pandemic, very few vehicles and people were on the road. Therefore, in our view, the allegations against the petitioner about rash and negligent driving to cause hurt is unlikely to happen, and there is no evidence on record to that effect," said Justices Ajay Gadkari and Rajesh Patil on July 18. Churchgate resident, 24-year-old Raaid Khan, a student, was booked by Marine Drive police under IPC Section 279 (rash driving on a public way). The FIR, lodged on the complaint of a police constable, stated that on June 14, 2020, five cars were being driven recklessly and negligently from Mafatlal Bath Junction at Chowpatty to NCPA and from there towards Churchgate junction by taking "crazy turns," thus endangering the lives of the drivers as well as others. Khan was arrested and released on bail. Since after filing of the chargesheet four years ago nothing happend, Khan moved HC to quash the case. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The At-Home Belly Shrinker: Just 1 Teaspoon, Empty Stomach purefitnow Learn More Undo You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai Senior advocate Manjula Rao, for Khan, argued that the roads were completely empty and it was no one's case that a life was endangered or injury was caused to a person or property. The judges said it is an admitted fact that the alleged incident occurred during the pandemic period around 7.15 am. "There is no doubt that there is no loss to life or to any other property due to the alleged driving of the petitioner and the other co-accused," Justice Patil dictated the order for the bench. The judges noted that witness statements did not disclose Khan was seen driving rashly and negligently. Except for a "bald statement" that he was driving negligently, "there was no evidence to substantiate the charge" under Section 279. Referring to Section 184 (driving dangerously) of the Motor Vehicles Act, they said it was not the prosecution's case that Khan was driving at a very high speed. "The only allegation is that the car was being driven in a 'zig-zag' manner," they added. The judges said "no case of commission of offence alleged is made out" and "it would be an abuse of process of law to continue the present proceedings" against Khan. They directed him to pay Rs 2 lakh cost to the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa's Advocate Academy and Research Center within two weeks.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
5 hours ago
- Business Standard
Supreme Court says it feels 'ashamed' over rising crimes against women
The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday said it feels "ashamed" seeing so many cases of violence against women, reported LiveLaw. The oral observation was made by Justices Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi while hearing a writ petition filed by the Supreme Court Women Lawyers Association, calling for stronger implementation of laws meant to protect women from sexual offences, the report added. While addressing Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati during the hearing, Justice Kant said, Justice Kant said: "Just examine possible solutions-which are comprehensive directions which can be effectively issued to make sure the impact we want to leave should be many voiceless people in remote areas, see what we can could for them. Wide publicity may not work out for them, let's accept these ground realities. what is the modicum for them?" He also suggested that educated people could be trained as paralegal workers to help those with limited access to justice. He said that since women are now elected as sarpanch under panchayat reservations, they could take up these roles as well, according to LiveLaw. He also said that it is only after a tragedy occurs that efforts are made to find solutions. "This is what is inherently wrong in the system", he added, as quoted by LiveLaw. What does the petition demand? The petition seeks a set of 'Pan-India Safety Guidelines, Reforms and Measures for Protection of Women', according to LiveLaw. "It is also urged that every convict u/s 376 IPC and Section 63 BNS, 2023 shall be punished with life imprisonment and permanent castration in cases of horrendous rape and murder of female and child victims," it demanded, It also sought the creation of a National Sex Offenders Registry that should be accessible online to all women, enabling them to identify repeat sexual offenders and take necessary precautions. It also urged the Court to apply the parens patriae doctrine to protect the fundamental rights of women, children, and the third gender, particularly their right to safety and a secure environment. It claimed that offenders in such cases have no fear because of the corruption, apathy, and lack of commitment among police and administrative bodies, because of which the laws are not implemented effectively. The Court has posted the matter for further hearing on July 29.
Hans India
11 hours ago
- Hans India
Auto unions cry foul, halt services across Ahmedabad over police crackdown
Ahmedabad: A standoff between auto rickshaw drivers and the Ahmedabad Police escalated into a full-scale strike, as rickshaw unions launched an indefinite protest. Accusing the police of undue harassment and wrongful penalisation, the auto unions have brought autos off the roads since Monday midnight, causing massive inconvenience to daily commuters across the city. The strike led to traffic congestion at several key junctions, with frustrated commuters left stranded in the absence of last-mile transport options. Eyewitnesses reported that some striking drivers were forcibly stopping rickshaws carrying passengers and urging fellow drivers to join the protest. According to leaders of auto unions, the trigger for the strike was a series of alleged arbitrary actions by police officers, including wrongful seizure of vehicles and fines under the pretext of enforcing the Motor Vehicles Act. They submitted a formal memorandum to the Police Commissioner, alleging that the enforcement is being used as a tool to meet "targets" rather than to ensure road safety. "The state government recognises auto-rickshaws as a legitimate means of livelihood, yet our members are being targeted and harassed without cause," they stated. They also alleged that apart from traffic police, general law enforcement personnel were intervening in traffic regulation, which they claim is beyond their jurisdiction. The leaders of the auto unions further accused some police officials of taking bribes from other commercial vehicle operators such as tractors, dumpers, and luxury cabs, while unfairly singling out auto drivers for punitive action. Rickshaw drivers have warned that if police action is not immediately curbed, the protest could intensify, bringing public transport in Ahmedabad to a near-complete standstill. The city administration has yet to issue a formal response, even as commuters continue to face disruptions amid rising tensions on the ground. Ahmedabad's streets are home to an estimated 170,000 auto-rickshaws as of 2021, up from just around 40,000 in 2011, showing more than fourfold growth over a decade. These vehicles represent roughly 4 per cent of all registered vehicles in the city, out of nearly 4 million total vehicles by 2022. Auto-rickshaws remain a vital mode of last-mile connectivity, particularly in areas beyond Bus Rapid Transit System and metro coverage. A policy implemented on January 1, 2025, mandates the use of functional fare meters in all autos. Despite this rule, over 28,000 drivers were fined, and enforcement led to Rs1.56 crore in penalties collected by traffic police. Meanwhile, a driving safety initiative includes the rollout of QR codes on autos, intended to bring more transparency and passenger protection. These codes display driver information and are part of the Nirbhaya safety push, though the move has faced resistance from driver unions over privacy concerns.
