Telangana News

Along with the wife and kids, even the elderly parents of the deceased are eligible for compensation under the Workmen Compensation Act, the Madras high court ruled today.

Dismissing a petition of the wife of the deceased, who claimed that she and her two children are entitled to the entire compensation amount, the Madurai Bench pronounced the judgment. Thilagavathi’s husband Subramaniyan was a machine operator at Sakthi Sugar Mills at Sivaganga where he suffered an injury and later succumbed.

As per Section 22 of the Workmen Compensation Act, the tribunal had passed an order to compensate Thilagavathi with Rs. 5.75 lakh, which had to be finalized in December. As both the children were major, the dependent status was ruled out for them. Meanwhile, Subramaniyan’s parents were included in the dependents list and the money was to be divided proportionately between them and Thilagavathi.

Thilagavathi, who is reluctant to share the compensation with them, approached the High Court. But Subramaniyan’s parents contended that, Thalagavathi had not been living with their son for the past two years. Even the expenses for Subramaniyan’s treatment had been borne by his father and not his wife, they said. Considering these, Justice S Vaidyanathan ruled that the authorities’ decision to name the parents as dependents was valid.