Cuttack, March 26: The East Coast Railway (ECoR) has decided to pay compensation of Rs 77.44 lakh for the casualties and injuries in an accident at an unmanned level crossing in the state nearly two-and-a-half years ago.

Accordingly, ECoR has started the process for identification of legal heirs of the deceased persons.

The railway has sanctioned compensation for the 14 persons killed and five persons injured in a collision of a speeding express train with a trolley autorickshaw on August 24, 2012 at Khairpalli unmanned level crossing near Sambalpur.

The compensation amount has been calculated along with interest, according to the direction of Orissa High Court on a PIL.

Advocate and human rights activist Prabir Kumar Das filed the PIL. On November 26, 2012, Orissa High Court had directed ECoR to pay compensation of Rs 5 lakh, along with 6 per cent interest per annum, to the family members of each of the 14 persons, who were killed in the accident within two months.

In a letter to Das, the ECoR authorities said: “The Sambalpur railway division has decided to award compensation to the families/legal heirs of the deceased as well as the injured persons. Accordingly, payment of compensation worth Rs 77,44,569 calculated with effect from August 28, 2012 (the date of filing of the WP (C) PIL) to January 6, 2014 has been sanctioned and approved.”

“You are, therefore, requested to identify the legal heirs of the deceased persons, to whom payment can be awarded through cheque individually. Your co-operation is highly solicited for early disbursement of compensation,” divisional engineer (line-III) of the East Coast Railway, Sambalpur, Biswajeet Bhoi said in his letter on March 21.

“On receipt of the letter, the necessary process for identification of legal heirs of the deceased persons has been initiated,” advocate Das told The Telegraph today.

The high court had, in its judgment, said: “Admittedly in this case Champa Bhoi, Pooja, Gouri Sahu, Medam Sahu, Anu Bhoi, Arati Bhoi, Bharati Bhoi, Buli Bhoi, Khatkuri Bhoi, Jayanti Bag, Ahalya Badhei, Dukhi Pradhan and Sanjukta Rout so also the driver of the ill-fated auto Satya Narayan Nath died because of the accident. Thus, it would be just and proper to award compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the aforementioned persons, who have lost their life in the accident. They are also entitled to get interest at the rate of 6 per cent per annum on the compensation amount from the date of presentation of the writ petition (August 28, 2012).”

The court had also directed payment of compensation to five persons injured in the accident — Subashini Rana (Rs 1 lakh), Hemalata Bhoi (Rs 25,000), Brundabati Bhoi (Rs 25,000) and Rs 5,000 each to Nirupama Bhoi and Mohini Bhoi, along with 6 per cent interest per annum.