Mao Clone
02/04/2022, 13:13:50
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/supreme-court-official-covid-toll-stats-not-true-so-dont-deny-ex-gratia/articleshow/89355618.cms
(Seems Modi wants local gov to pay families with covid death some money)
Supreme Court: Official Covid toll stats ‘not true’, so don’t deny ex gratia
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday directed states governments not to reject Covid death claims on technical grounds and gave 10 days’ time to them to pay compensation from the time such an application is submitted by a bereaved family.
“Official statistics are not true on death figures and it cannot be said fraudulent claims are being made (by families of Covid victims),” a bench of Justices M R Shah and B V Nagarathna said, taking note of rejection of large number of claims by many state governments.
The bench, which has been monitoring implementation of its order to give Rs 50,000 to all families which lost their dear ones due to the pandemic, expressed displeasure over the delay on the part of some of the states in reaching out to the families. The court said as a welfare state, it was the duty of the government to help out people. “You are not doing charity. As a welfare state, it is your duty. Why are you sending people from pillar to post. Do it from the bottom of the heart,” the bench told the Maharashtra government which had rejected over 60,000 claim applications.
After going through the latest data collated by additional solicitor general Aishwarya Bhati on the basis of information provided by the states, Justices Shah and Nagrathna indicated that the states needed to be more pro-active in helping the aggrieved families, and directed them to appoint dedicated nodal officer to coordinate with the member-secretary of the State Legal Service Authority (SLSA) to streamline the process and facilitate payment of ex gratia.
The court was hearing a PIL filed by social activist Gaurav Bansal on whose plea it had passed the order for grant of compensation to the families of Covid victims.
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