NDMA for Rs 50,000 ex-gratia to family of those who died due to Covid-19, Centre tells SC

The ex-gratia assistance will be given subject to the cause of death being certified as Covid-19 as per the guidelines issued by MoHFW and ICMR

The Union government has told the Supreme Court that the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has come out with guidelines for states to pay Rs 50,000 as ex gratia compensation to kin of Covid-19 deceased, in terms of the June 30 judgment of the top court.

In a compliance affidavit, the Union Home Ministry said the amount would be paid subject to the cause of death having been certified as Covid-19 as per the other guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR).

According to the guidelines, the ex gratia would be paid by states from the State Disaster Relief Fund.

The District Disaster Management Authority would disburse the amount on receiving a form issued by the state authority in this regard along with the death certificate.

"The DDMA will ensure that the process of claim, verification, sanction and the final disbursement of the ex gratia payment would be through a robust yet a simple and people-friendly procedure. All claims would be settled within 30 days of submission of required documents, and disbursed through Aadhaar linked direct benefit transfer procedure," the guidelines issued on September 11 stated.

A committee at the district level would also be formed for redressal of grievances. The panel would record clear reasons if it is not in favour of claims.

The ex gratia assistance would continue to be made for future death due to Covid-19, it added.

On June 30, the top court had directed the Prime Minister-headed National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to frame appropriate guidelines within a period of six weeks for ex-gratia payment for the kin of those who died of Covid-19.

On August 16, the court had granted four more weeks for the purpose.

In its June 30 judgement on PILs by advocates Gaurav Kumar Bansal and Reepak Kansal, the court had said the Centre failed to perform its statutory duty cast under Section 12 of the Disaster Management Act (DMA), to issue minimum standards of relief for families of those people who lost their lives to Covid-19.

The pandemic was notified as a disaster on March 14, 2020.

State governments like Bihar paid ex gratia of Rs four lakh, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh Rs one lakh each and Delhi Rs 50,000 to Covid-19 victims from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund or any other fund.

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