In an affidavit registered before the Supreme Court on September 22, the Centre suggested an ex-gratia compensation of Rs 50,000 to the families of persons who perished due to COVID-19.
“The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has suggested the Rs 50,000 compensation amount to the family of those who perished due to the COVID-19 infection, the government told the apex court,” according to the news agency PTI.
The Centre reportedly told the court that the ex-gratia amount would also be provided to the family of COVID-19 victims engaged in relief services or activities linked with the preparation of the pandemic. However, the ex-gratia amount would be distributed to the family of only those whose death cause has been officially “certified as COVID-19”, the Centre added.
The “ex-gratia assistance to the kin of COVID-19 victims will be provided by State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF)”, the Centre explained in the affidavit. The affidavit was registered about three months after the central government told the top court that a compensation of Rs 4 lakh, as solicited by a petitioner, cannot be granted to the family of COVID-19 victims as it would completely deplete the disaster relief funds.
Prominently, on September 3, the Supreme Court had shown disapproval over the setback in formulating guidelines for assigning death certificates to the families of those who died of COVID-19. In its June 30 verdict, the apex court ordered the NDMA to recommend the guidelines for ex-gratia compensation within six weeks on losing life to the family members of persons who perished due to COVID-19.
