madurai taking into account that damage assessment was not done properly by the authorities madras high court has awarded enhanced compensation of rs 138lakh and rs 133lakh respectively to two fishermen who were awarded rs 12000 and rs 17000 by the government for damages suffered by their fibre boats during gaja cyclone in thanjavur district in 2018 petitioners s senthilkumar from sethubavachatram and m thetchinamoorthy from kazhumaguda had claimed that their reinforced fibre plastic boats were totally damaged during the cyclonea fisheries department team visited their villages based on their applications for financial assistance and submitted damage assessment reports however as they were paid only rs 12000 and rs 17000 respectively they moved hc madurai bench in 2019 seeking enhanced compensation justice g r swaminathan observed that the world being prone to extreme weather conditions natural disasters such as cyclones may strike at any time during such calamitous situations the state has to assume the role of parens patriae the state cannot abdicate its responsibility he saidthe judge observed that a 2019 go provides for payment of rs 150 lakh in case of total damage of fibre boats and rs 20000 for partial damage when the claimant asserts that his boat was totally damaged the inspecting team has to assign reasons for rejecting his claim the inspection report must describe the nature and extent of damage it cannot be generally described as partial or total such a description would suffer from the vice of vagueness a wholesale approach cannot be adopted he said the judge observed that the process of assessment and disbursement of compensation will have to be individualized when relief assistance norms provide thereforejustice swaminathan said that the compensation payable to the claimants in terms of the statutory scheme or the government orders is not a bounty or dole or charity we are a welfare state therefore the norms for payment of relief assistance must be enforced in an objective manner he said the judge observed that the assessment reports filed by authorities deserve to be scrapped it is in mere excel format the nature of damage suffered by the petitioners has not at all been particularized the description given is cryptic and absolutely insufficient the judge said while directing to pay enhanced compensation of rs 138lakh and rs 133lakh respectively to the petitioners within eight weeks