SC notice to Centre on plea to give ex-gratia for victims of side effects of Covid-19

The top court told the Union government to prepare guidelines to provide ex-gratia to Covid-19 victims' families

The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notice to the Union government on a plea to provide compensation of Rs four lakh to the family members of the Covid-19 patients, who succumbed to black fungus, or yellow fungus.

A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, M R Shah and Vineet Saran sought a reply from the Centre on a PIL filed by lawyer, Reepak Kansal.

Read | Frame norms to pay ex-gratia to Covid victims' kin: SC

Kansal, in his plea, asked the court to direct the Centre and states to provide ex-gratia monetary compensation to family members of the deceased who have succumbed to side effects or post Covid-19 complications i.e., black fungus, white fungus and yellow fungus etc, in view of Section 12 of the Disaster Management Act (DMA), 2005.

The top court, separately in a judgement, told the Union government to prepare guidelines within six weeks to provide ex-gratia assistance to Covid-19 victims' families as the pandemic was declared as a disaster under the law.