SC directs state to pay ex-gratia to children orphaned by Covid-19

New Delhi: The Supreme Courton Wednesday ordered the states to reach out to those children, who have lost either one orboth parents due to Covid-19, and ensure that the ex-gratia compensation was paid to them.
A bench of the Apex Court, headed by Justice M R Shah, passed a slew of directions after hearing a petition filed by lawyer GauravKumar Bansal, seeking ex-gratia compesation to the next of kith and kin of those persons, who died due of Covid-19, in line with the information uploaded on the Bal-Swaraj Portal of NCPCR.
“States/UTs to share full particulars of total number of recorded deaths due to Covid-19 in the State and information uploaded on the Bal-Swaraj Portal – with the State Legal Services Authority,” said the Supreme Court.
The Apex Court further said that insofar as the rejected claims are concerned, the States / Union Territories shall intimate the reason for such rejection to the claimant and he shall be given an opportunity for rectification of such defects.
“No claim shall be rejected by the States / UTs on technical grounds. All such rejected claims be sent by the States / UTs to the Grievance Redressal Committee within a week from today,” the Court said, and posted the matter for further hearing to February 4.
The petition claimed that the number of claim applications filed for deaths due to Covid-19 was less than the official death cases in many states and the government was not taking pro active steps.
The Apex Court decided to take the help of State and District Legal Services Authority to reach out to victims’ families for disbursement of compensation.

About Post Author