Written By: Satata Karmakar | Published : September 23, 2021 4:56 PM IST
States To Provide Ex-Gratia of Rs 50,000 For Deaths Due To COVID-19: Read All The Details Here
The Central government on Wednesday agreed to grant ex-gratia assistance to the kin of those who died due to COVID-19 within 30 days after being diagnosed with the infection. The central government informed the court that families of those who died due to COVID will receive an ex gratia of 50,000 from the state disaster response fund (SDRF). India is now the first country in the world to provide such financial assistance to the kin of the COVID victims. "We are happy that something has been done to wipe the tears of many families," the apex court said. The solicitor for the centre told the court that the loss due to the deadly virus infection is irreplaceable. "We cannot repair the loss of life but whatever the country could do for the families who have suffered, is being done," Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said.
Only the families of those who died due to COVID can claim the ex-gratia Rs 50,000 from the SDRF. The other important point to note here is that the death certificate of the deceased should say that the cause of the death is due to COVID-19. So what if the death certificate doesn't have any mention about COVID? The bench who was hearing the affidavit said, "The next of kin can approach the district level committee, to be constituted under the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) guidelines, for redressal of grievances over the issuance of death certificate." The bench further added, "Sometimes hospitals behave like a monarch and don't give medical records to the family members or hand over the dead bodies to them. We have to take care of those people also. Such family members of the COVID-19 victims can also approach the committee which can call for the hospital records."
India has recorded 4.45 lakh deaths due to COVID-19 as of Wednesday, 22 September. Of these, the majority of the deaths were recorded in the ferocious second wave of coronavirus.
