DYFI and kin of plane crash victims protest against AI

DYFI and kin of plane crash victims protest against AI

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Sep 8: Remembering the tragic Mangalore plane crash of May 22 during a protest staged by the kin of the air crash victims in collaboration with DYFI in front of the Air India (AI) office at Lalbhag, Kerala MP Karunakaran said that most of the people who died in this crash belonged had low incomes and were the only bread winners of their families. 

 

 

 

 

 

He further said that AI had announced an interim compensation of Rs. 10 lakh each for the families of the deceased although Civil Aviation Minister Mr. Praful Patel had stated that each victim will receive a final compensation of Rs. 76 lakh. However, AI has now decided to fix compensations as per the income of the deceased, which means that insurance companies will have to pay only small amounts as compensation to low-income victims. 

Alleging that the consortium of insurance companies under the leadership of Reliance and AI are trying to cheat the victims’ families of what rightfully belongs to them, he urged the central government to intervene in the matter and provide justice to the families. He also said that going to court is not the solution because a number of poor families cannot afford to fight the matter at International Courts. 

B. Madhava of CPI (M) said that AI and the consortium of insurance companies are acting against the law. Accidents related to international air carriage are governed by the Montreal Convention; and India has incorporated the Montreal Convention as an amendment to its Carriage by Air Act of 1972 in May 2009. 

Article 21 of the Montreal Convention eliminates all arbitrary limits on air carrier liability with respect to accident victims. The carrier may avoid liability for the full amount of damages only if it proves that it was not negligent or that a third party was responsible for the damages, he informed. 

He questioned AI’s policy of fixing compensations based on income when it did not take income into consideration while issuing tickets. He also alleged that the legal firm representing the consortium of insurance companies was unduly influencing the victims’ representatives that compensations will be fixed as per victim’s incomes. 

He said that DYFI demands the intervention of the Union Civil Aviation Ministry in the matter and urges the ministry to control AI and the legal firm representing the consortium of insurance companies, who are trying to swindle the innocent kin of the victims who are already grief stricken over the loss of their loved ones. The DYFI also urged the ministry to ensure that the kin of the victims get adequate compensation as per the Montreal Convention.