Assessment of income – Minimum wages – Oral evidence – Value of -- Wife deposed that her husband/deceased was earning Rs.15000/- per month, same was not considered only on the ground that salary certificate was not filed -- Tribunal has fixed the monthly income of the deceased by adopting minimum wage notified for the skilled labour in the year 2016 – Held, in absence of salary certificate the minimum wage notification can be a yardstick but at the same time cannot be an absolute one to fix the income of the deceased -- In absence of documentary evidence on record some amount of guesswork is required to be done -- Merely because claimants were unable to produce documentary evidence to show the monthly income of deceased, same does not justify adoption of lowest tier of minimum wage while computing the income -- No reason to discard the oral evidence of the wife.

(SC) Decided on: 01.10.2021