High Court to firm: Aid families that lost earning member in 2022 Gujarat Bridge collapse

The Gujarat High Court on Friday asked Oreva Group, the company responsible for the operation and maintenance of the Morbi bridge that collapsed on October 30, 2022, killing 135 persons, to provide jobs or monthly remuneration to families who lost their earning member.

The division bench of Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice Aniruddha Mayee was hearing a suo motu PIL on the incident.

It also asked the company to provide a two-bedroom house in "Parel or Lower Parel area" of Mumbai as compensation to a 23-year-old woman who was injured in the bridge collapse and currently works in a firm in Bandra Kurla Complex in the metropolis.

During Friday's hearing, the bench asked the government and the company to expedite the process of creating a trust to look after the compensation and rehabilitation of victims.

About the rehabilitation of those who are now suffering from partial or full disability, the court said, "These people must be permanently adopted. They have to be taken care of throughout their lives. This is their (Oreva's) creation. A man-made creation," the chief justice said.

Advocate General Kamal Trivedi informed the bench that four of the 10 women who were widowed had accepted Oreva's job offer. 

The bench was also apprised about two families who have lost their earning member in the tragedy and have six daughters (three in each family), including five minors.

The court asked the company to provide additional financial support to these children for their studies and for meeting other expenses on basic amenities.

The bench also asked the company to check how widows can be accommodated in jobs or if they can be given a monthly remuneration in case they can't work due to some reasons.