Our Correspondent
Kohima | April 29
The provision of compensation to the victims of crime traces back to the amendment of Criminal Procedure Code and INSERT IGNOREion of 357A of Criminal Procedure Code where every state government is directed to co-ordinate with the central government to prepare a scheme for providing grants for the purpose of compensating victims or dependents who have suffered loss or injury as a result of crime and who require rehabilitation.
In acquiescence to the directive, the Government of Nagaland has framed a scheme called the ‘Nagaland Victim Compensation Scheme, 2012,’ whereby the state government is to earmark a separate budget for the purpose of the scheme every year. Any victim of crime who meets the criteria enshrined in the Nagaland Victim Compensation Scheme, 2012 can seek compensation, provided FIR is lodged before the police station or complaint is filed before the judicial magistrate.
Speaking at the 2nd All Nagaland Meet of District Legal Services Authorities here during the weekend, Neiteo Koza, panel lawyer, Nagaland State Legal Services Authority (NSLSA) said that rendering aid to the victims of crime is an arduous task taken by NSLSA for the relief of the victims as they have to live the rest of their life with stigma. In reality, she said, there is no complete compensation to the physical and psychological trauma the victims suffer.
She said the legal services authority not only recommends awarding of compensation but takes the responsibility of moving from pillar to the post for the sanction of the grant to the victims.
At present, NSLSA has initiated a mechanism where the respective District Legal Services Authorities submit the application for recommendation of compensation and it pursues the matter with the concerned nodal department.
“This is done in order to save the time and expenses of the victims, their families and the district legal services authorities, and make it a point that once the grant is sanctioned by the government, the amount is handed over to the victim,” she said. Till date, NSLSA together with the district legal services authorities have assisted in compensating 24 victims and their families with a total amount of Rs. 29, 75,000 (Twenty nine lakh and seventy five thousand).
Recently the state government had released compensatory amount of Rs. 4 lakhs to three victims through the recommendation made by the chairpersons of Mon, Zunheboto and Phek districts legal services authorities. “We truly appreciate the state government for the release of the fund as per the scheme provides and for being supporting to this authority (NSLSA) throughout,” Koza said. She said there are still six applications pending before the concerned nodal departments.
It may be noted that the Supreme Court has given a directive to the NSLSA for setting up a committee for preparing model rules for compensation.
As directed, a new model called “Victim compensation for survivors of sexual assault and acid attack” was under recommendation process.
“We hope and look forward to the cooperation and full support of the state government in joining hands together in empowering and delivering justice to the victims of crime and the society in general,” Koza added.
Y Kikheto Sema (IAS), Secretary for Land Resources and Finance, Government of Nagaland who also addressed the meeting assured that the grant pertaining to Nagaland Victim Compensation Scheme will be delivered in time.
During the meeting, he also handed over an amount of Rs.4 lakh under the Victim Compensation Scheme 2012 received from the Relief & Rehabilitation department to the chairpersons and secretaries of three districts – Zunheboto, Mon and Phek legal services authorities.
