'Daughters-in-law are also family members'

  The KAT administrative member P S S Thomas and judicial member T N Manjuladevi have opined the amendment to the Constitution excluding the above from the status of family members is unconstitutional and invalid.

The petitioners - relatives of persons displaced for various government projects - had approached the Tribunal since they were not being considered as family members.

The provision for reservation is  different from the one for appointment on compassionate grounds. The daughters-in-law and grandchildren too are like children. They have a right in son’s (husband) property. Excluding them from the definition of family members amounts to snatching their right, the Tribunal  observed.