The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to frame guidelines for payment of ex gratia compensation to family members of persons who succumbed to Covid-19 within six weeks.
The court’s order came in response to a plea seeking ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh each to the families of all those who succumbed to the virus. The Centre had submitted by affidavit that state governments cannot afford to pay this, and “may possibly” consume the entire amount of the State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF), leaving states with insufficient funds for organising a response to the pandemic, or to take care of other disasters.
The top court’s verdict came on two separate pleas filed by lawyers Reepak Kansal and Gaurav Kumar Bansal seeking directions to the Centre and the states to provide Rs 4 lakh compensation to the families of coronavirus victims as provisioned under the Act.
On 21 June, the SC had reserved its verdict on the batch of pleas which also sought formulation of a uniform policy for issuing of death certificates.