SC happy with Rs 50,000 ex gratia to be paid to families of Covid-19 victims

Satya Prakash

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 23

The Supreme Court on Thursday expressed satisfaction over the government’s decision to provide an ex-gratia amount of Rs 50,000 to the families of those who died due to Covid-19.

“Today we are very happy. There will be some solace to those who have sufferedhellip;We are happy that something is being done to wipe out the tears of the persons who suffered”, a Bench led by Justice MR Shah said. “We have to take judicial notice of the fact that what India has done, no other country could do,” it added.

Expressing satisfaction over the compensation proposed to be paid to families of Covid-19 victims, the Bench said it will pass orders in the matter on October 4.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the National disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has framed guidelines for payment of ex-gratia compensation to the families of Covid-19 victims by states from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF). “We cannot repair the loss, but we can do something,” he said.

India has so far recorded 4.46 lakh deaths due to Covid-19 which was declared a disaster under the Disaster Management Act.

The Centre had on Wednesday told the top court that families of Covid-19 victims, including those involved in relief operations, will be given Rs 50,000 compensation from the SDRF.

The families of those who died of Covid-19 will have to apply for compensation in the Disaster Management Office of their respective district along with a medical/death certificate mentioning ‘death due to corona’.

The compensation will be paid against not only the deaths that have already occurred but for future ones, the Centre said.

The top court had on June 30 directed the NDMA to frame guidelines for payment of compensation to the kin of those who died due to Covid, saying the authority was statutorily mandated to provide minimum relief, including ex-gratia to the victims of the pandemic.

Holding that by not providing an ex-gratia amount, the NDMA had failed in discharging its statutory duty, a Bench led by Justice Ashok Bhushan had directed the NDMA to determine in six weeks the ex-gratia amount to be paid to the family of each Covid victim.

However, it had said it won’t be proper for the court to direct a particular amount to be paid.

The order had come on PILs seeking an ex-gratia compensation of Rs 4 lakh each to the kin of those who lost their lives due to Covid pandemic.