SC Orders Rs 50,000 Compensation For Every Covid Victim Family Within 30 Days Of Application

Pandemic hit us all. It made individuals, corporates, and governments suffer in some way or other. And we all tried to cope with it to the best of our abilities. The Indian government also tried its best at curbing the spread of the virus. All those efforts like economic relief packages, the vaccination drives, and providing for the welfare and support of those affected have strained the government offers. And those strains are gonna get more severe because of the latest ruling by the Supreme Court.

Kin of Covid-19 affected people to get Rs. 50,000

On Monday, the Supreme Court approved the ex-gratia policy of Rs 50,000 to families of people who died of Covid-19.

“Next kin of the deceased shall be paid an amount of Rs 50,000 and it will be over and above the amounts paid by centre and state under various benevolent schemes,” a bench of Justices M R Shah and A S Bopanna proclaimed.

The court has ordered that the amount should be disbursed within 30 days of submission of the application. For this purpose, Covid-19 victims who tested positive in an outside clinic or inpatient facility will be considered. The kin is required to apply within 30 days of the date of death.

SC has given clear guidelines regarding handling of matters of disputes

The SC has also made it clear that unresolved Covid-19 cases, where the person dies in their home or a hospital will also be treated as covid-19 death if a family member satisfies the authority that the cause of death was indeed covid. It also ordered that no state shall then deny the benefit of 50,000 on the ground that cause of death is not shown as covid in the death certificate.

If any family member has grievances regarding the death certificate already issued, he/she can move the grievance redressal committee to be constituted by states. These committees can examine the medical records of the deceased and take a call within 30 days and order the compensation. For this, it can call for records from hospitals if needed, the bench added.

It should be noted that the court has also asked the concerned authorities to publish the name of the beneficiaries in the print media.

NDMA has been given the complete responsibility

Hearing two petitions filed by Advocates Gaurav Kumar Bansal and Reepak Kansal, the apex court had asked the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to look into the question of providing ex-gratia to the next of kin of the deceased.

The court had also asked the government to frame simplified guidelines for the issue of official documents to their family members. These documents would also help them get the ex gratia. The SC has gone over an arm’s length while suggesting correction of papers issued by the municipal or other authorities in connection with the death if needed.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) jointly brought out the guidelines. According to these guidelines those cases that are diagnosed through an RT-PCR/ Molecular Test/ Rapid Antigen Test, or that have been clinically determined in a hospital or an in-patient facility by a physician while one is admitted there, will be recognized as Covid deaths.