PRAYAGRAJ, Dec. 10 -- The Allahabad high court recently pulled up the state authorities for denying ex gratia (compensation) to a minor orphan, whose parents died in a train accident though the central government released its share of the fund, terming it "mockery of policy". The state authorities denied relief citing "lack of proof" of death even though the Centre had already verified the claim and released its share of the funds. The court further said the state government officials are supposed to behave in a "responsible manner". The bench comprising justice Ajit Kumar and justice Swarupama Chaturvedi was hearing a petition filed by Adarsh Pandey, a minor, who had approached the high court seeking the release of ex gratia payment announced by the government for dependents of train accident victims. The court said those at the helm of affairs in the state department should have made the payment on the basis of the documents relied upon by the Centre. According to the petitioner, both the central and state governments had announced financial relief for the victims' families. The Centre had proposed a sum of Rs 5 lakh for dependents of the deceased and the state CM had also made a similar announcement. During the proceedings, the Union of India filed a counter affidavit confirming that the payments on behalf of the Centre had already been made as per the declaration. However, the state government took a starkly contradictory stand. The bench was apprised that since there was no proof as such of the parents dying in a railway accident, the payment could not be made. The court in its November 28 order said, "This in our considered view is making a mockery of policy by those who are in the helm of affairs of the State department.when the Central Government has made payment on the basis of documents, those documents should have been taken as a basis of payment by the State Government."...