What is the cost of the Gujrat riots to the exchequer?
27 Apr, 2012After a decade of the Gujrat riots, questions are being raised about the cost of the riots to the society. Of course, neither the loss of human lives nor the effect of vitiation of atmosphere can ever be measured in terms of monetary value; the other loss can be quantified.
As per information obtained from the legal department of Gujrat under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, an amount of Rs 6.32 crore was spent for the proceedings of the Nanavati Commission till October 2011, which probed the 2002 riots. An amount of Rs 4.53 crore was spent on the salary of two judges and the staff members of the commission. Further, an amount of Rs 1.5 crore was used to meet miscellaneous requirements of the probe panel.
A RTI applicant sought information on the expenditure incurred on legal proceedings in the 2002 riots cases under different heads. He asked for names of all those lawyers who represented the government in all courts and the quantum of fees paid to them. He also asked for information regarding the amount spent after inquiry commission and CBI probes and proceedings, the administrative expenses including stationery. The applicant also sought information on the expenditure made on legal proceedings on encounter cases. The Gujrat State Legal department has replied that information cannot be furnished as it was not compiled.