STEPS FOR SPEEDY SETTLEMENT OF COMPENSATION CLAIMS

1.    Instructions have been issued to all Zonal Railways that as soon as a passenger train accident or untoward incident takes place, all particulars of injured and killed may be obtained, claim application forms sent to claimants, and the record should also be made available to the concerned bench of the Railway Claims Tribunal.

2.    When claims are filed and put up for hearing, the railways should give all possible assistance to the Tribunal for speedy settlement.

3.    Written statements are to be filed by the railways in such cases within 15 days of receipt of notice from RCT.

4.    After the decretal amount of a claim has been sanctioned, railways have to ensure that cheques are issued and dispatched within a period of 15 days.

5.    Prior finance concurrence in respect of the accident compensation claims case have been dispensed with.

6.    The Chief Claims Officers have been empowered to satisfy the decree accident compensation claims upto ₹ 8 lakh.

7.    Applicant can file claim at the Railway Claims Tribunal Bench having jurisdiction over the place of residence of the applicant or the place where the passenger purchases his ticket or where the accident or untoward incident occurs or where the place of destination station lies, as against only at the place of occurrence of accident earlier.

8.    Holding Circuit Benches at RCT Benches where pendency of cases is high. Now, Circuit Benches are also held at the place of accident.

9.    Zonal Railways have been directed to fill up the vacancies of Officers/Staff in RCT Benches urgently whenever such vacancies arise.

10.  Maximum of three adjournments for each case permitted for claim applications filed before Railway Claims Tribunal.

11.  Railway Claims Tribunal to pass final orders within 21 days of final hearing of the case filed before it.

12.  One copy of order of Railway Claims Tribunal for accident compensation claims to be supplied free of cost to the applicant within 3 days of the passing of final orders.

13.  Relevant Rules & Procedures in connection with compensation claims in respect of “Accident” have been incorporated in the Indian Railways” Web-site i.e. www.indianrailways.gov.in. It also contains format of different application forms which are needed for filing compensation claims.

This Press Release is based on the information given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Rajen Gohain in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha on 22.12.2017 (Friday).

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AKS/MKV/DK