Cheque 'dishonours' leopard attack victim

Here’s how the state government adds insult to injury caused by a leopard.

A cheque issued by the state forest department to a leopard attack victim was returned as the bank had misplaced a slip having the government’s instructions to pay the amount to the victim. Far from getting the money, the victim ended up paying a fine for the returned cheque.

Bharati Dingankar was injured in a leopard attack in her hometown in Ratnagiri district in August last year.

The state forest department issued a cheque in February. Her husband Parshuram, who does odd jobs in the city, is still running from pillar to post to get the cheque encashed.
The cheque amount is about 10% of the total expenses incurred for treatment.

“The total cost we incurred was around Rs30,000 but we had bills for Rs3,028,” said Parshuram. “Whatever the amount, for a casual worker like me, every rupee counts.”

In December, the deputy conservator of forests in Ratnagiri issued the cheque. However, it was dishonoured as the bank had misplaced the ‘budget distribution system slip’.

This slip is a government document authorising the bank to pay the amount. This document is mandatory in keeping with government protocol.

Getting the cheque was not easy, said Parshuram. “When we approached the forest department office for reimbursement, we were turned away saying that there is no such compensation policy,” he added.

It was the intervention of a non-governmental organisation Shramik Mukti Andolan that helped the victim get the compensation cheque.

“For someone like Parshuram, who does odd jobs in Mumbai, every rupee is valuable. Even if the cheque amount is a tenth of the total expenses, it matters to him,” said Vitthal Lad of Shramik Mukti Andolan, a non-government organisation.

The Dingankars had to pay up a penalty of Rs50 for the returned cheque.

Deputy conservator of forests (Chiplun) AN Sable said the cheque was not dishonoured due to lack of funds. “The budget distribution system slip was misplaced by the bank. We have reissued the slip and the family can now encash it.”