Frame Guidelines For paying Compensation To Families Of COVID-19 Victims: SC To Govt
The Supreme Court asked the Center to consider framing an insurance scheme for cremation workers as suggested by the Finance Commission
Mumbai: The Supreme Court has directed the Centre to frame guidelines within six weeks to pay ex-gratia compensation to families of those who died due to COVID-19.
A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan and MR Shah said the court cannot direct the Center to fix a specific amount of financial assistance. However, the government may fix the minimum norm of the amount to be paid as ex-gratia to the family members of COVID-19 victims, taking into account various aspects.
The top court directed the Center and the NDMA to issue new norms within six weeks for the minimum standard of relief to be given to the kin of COVID-19 victims. The officials have also been directed to issue appropriate guidelines for simplification of the process of issuance of death certificates for COVID-19 victims.
The Supreme Court asked the Center to consider framing an insurance scheme for cremation workers as suggested by the Finance Commission.
The bench observed that the NDMA has failed to perform its statutory duties and rejected the Centre’s argument of reading ‘probably’ in Section 12 of the Disaster Management Act for grant of ex-gratia to the victims of the disaster.
On June 21, the SC had asked the Center to provide details about the compensation paid by each state to the families of victims of COVID-19 and what money was being used.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, had submitted before the bench that there was no issue of “fiscal affordability” but Rs 4 lakh ex gratia payment to the kin of those who have died of COVID-19 cannot be made keeping in mind the “rational, judicious and optimum usage of resources of the nation”.
To this, Justice Shah had responded, “So you say you don’t have the money for ex-gratia but for other measures. It will have a wide ramification if the government says it has no funds.”
(With Agency Inputs)
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