New Delhi: Irrespective of her family status, a housewife's contribution towards the household must be treated to be at least Rs 3,000 per month for computing compensation to her family in case she dies in an accident, the Delhi High Court has ruled.

"No matter what the status of the family may be, the contribution of the housewife towards household must be treated to be at minimum Rs 3,000 for the age group of 34-59 years," Justice R S Sodhi said awarding a compensation of Rs 3.84 lakh to a husband whose wife had died in an accident involving a DTC bus in New Delhi more than 20 years ago.

The court, which substantially enhanced the compensation of Rs 54,000 awarded by the Motor Vehicles Accident Tribunal, ordered DTC to pay the amount to the victim's husband Matura Dutt within 10 weeks failing which it will have to pay an interest of six per cent on the compensation amount.

Interestingly, the 35-year-old deceased was working as a maid and was earning merely Rs 300 per month.

However, applying the Supreme Court judgment in Lata Wadhawa's case the High Court said Rs 3,000 per month ought to be adopted as guideline in the cases of housewives within the age group of 34 to 59 years.

"The role of the housewife in running a house is not that of rendering services as a slave. Her contribution in keeping the family together, providing household services besides matrimonial duties cannot be treated lightly," the court said.

"It has got nothing to do with the earning capacity of the husband which is in addition to what is taken care of by the housewife," Justice Sodhi observed.