I remember in 2011 passing the village below the dam - now under the red mud - a disaster waiting to happen, obvious even to a bus passenger. That local bus in which I traveled was run by the same mining company, who employed most people around there. If that's still the case, suppose they'll still control what's done with the fund money.
the money, which will be adjusted for inflation since 2015, will be put into a state fund and used for projects and initiatives in the area impacted by the dam collapse.
A punitive assessment for the emotional damage from deaths and destruction of personal property on a grand scale, including the environment the damaged parties live in, is entirely appropriate.
Levying it under that pretense, but putting it in a discretionary fund under purview of government is essentially a 100% tax on the damages done to the victims.
Claiming it will be used to benefit those victims is a whitewash... It never goes to the victims unless it's awarded to them.
There's absolutely nothing wrong with the punitive assessment, my objection is purely to the recipient.
