Ex-gratia for covid deaths: SC directs Centre to frame guidelines within six weeks
New Delhi: In what could be termed as a blow to the Centre, which has reluctant to pay compensation to Covid victims, the Supreme Court here on Wednesday directed the Union of India to frame guidelines to pay ex-gratia compensation to the families that lost its members due to Covid 19.
Justice Ashok Bhushan, headed a three-member bench, directed the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to frame the guidelines within six weeks ex-gratia amount can be paid to the family members of those who died due to Covid -19.
Supreme Court directions could be much relief to the families of those who died due to Covid. Petitioner has sought financial assistance of Rs. 4 lakh from the Centre to the families that have lost its members for Covid. During the first hearing, the Centre argued that it would be financially impractical to pay compensation to covid diseased families.
The Centre has contended that paying compensation would empty the disaster relief fund of the state. Instead of giving compensation to the families that lost their members due to Covid, the government is making arrangements to provide welfare measures of poor, including health insurance schemes. The Centre has submitted an affidavit stating that it can not afford to pay compensation under NDMA fund.
