HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE GHULAM MOHAMMED M.A.C.M.A.No.1772 of 2005 JUDGMENT The appellant-APSRTC filed this appeal under Section 173 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (for short ‘the Act’) against the order, dated 06.04.2004, passed in O.P.No.231 of 2002 by the learned II Additional District Judge-cum-Chairman, Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal, Kurnool (for short ‘the Tribunal’). 2. Respondent Nos.1 to 7-claimants are the legal representatives of one Pedda Sultan, who died in a motor accident occurred on 09.12.2001, at about 3.30 PM due to collision between the auto and the bus. They filed the above said O.P., claiming compensation of Rs.3,50,000/-. The appellant-APSRTC and respondent No.8-insurer filed counters denying the averments made in the claim petition. By the order impugned, the Tribunal awarded compensation of Rs.2,30,000/-with proportionate costs and interest at 9% per annum payable by the appellant at 80% of the compensation and respondent Nos.8 and 9 at 20% of the compensation from the date of the petition till the date of realisation. Aggrieved by the same, the appellant-APSRTC filed this appeal. 3. Heard the learned Standing Counsel for the appellant and the learned counsel for respondents. 4. Learned Standing Counsel for the appellant contended that the Tribunal has taken multiplier ‘18’ for the age group of 30 years and that as per the decision of the Apex Court in SARALA VERMA v. DELHI TRANSPORT CORPORATION[1] the multiplier applicable to the case of the deceased is ‘17’ and accordingly, the compensation may be awarded to the claimants. 5. The material on record discloses that the deceased Pedda Sultan was aged 30 years and earning a sum of Rs.18,000/-per annum by running a kirana shop, at the time of the accident. After deducting 1/3rd from it towards his personal expenses, it comes to Rs.12,000/-per annum. As per SARALA VERMA’s case (1 supra), the appropriate multiplier for the age group of 30 years is ‘17’, as rightly contended by the learned Standing Counsel for the appellant, and thereby, the loss of dependency comes to Rs.12,000X17=2,04,000/- The compensation awarded by the Tribunal towards other heads i.e., Rs.2,000/-towards funeral expenses, Rs.7,000/-towards loss of estate and Rs.5,000/-towards loss of consortium should be added to it. In total, a sum of Rs.2,18,000/- is awarded to the claimants. Thus, the compensation is reduced from Rs.2,30,000/- to Rs.2,18,000/-. The order of the Tribunal in all other aspects shall remain unaltered. The compensation amount shall carry interest @ 7% per annum from the date of the petition till realization. 6. With the above modification, the Civil Miscellaneous Appeal is allowed in part. No costs. _____________________ GHULAM MOHAMMED, J Date:10.02.2011 sj [1] (2009) 6 SCC 121