Third wave will also be over: SC raps Centre over delay in framing Covid relief norms

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Sep 03, 2021: The Supreme Court rapped the Centre over the delay in framing guidelines regarding compensation to kin of those who died due to Covid-19. A bench of Justices MR Shah and Aniruddha Bose said the third wave of Covid-19 would be over by the time guidelines were framed.

 

"By the time you take further steps, the third wave will also be over. The order on death certificate, compensation, etc, was passed long back," the Supreme Court said.

On August 16, the Supreme Court gave the Centre four weeks to frame ex-gratia compensation norms for Covid-19 deaths. However, the court asked the Centre to indicate within two weeks steps taken on death certificate guidelines in Covid-19 cases and social security and welfare measures as suggested by the Finance commission.

The Supreme Court asked the Centre why it failed to comply with the court orders passed on June 30. The Solicitor General told the court that the issue was "under consideration" by the government.

The Supreme Court asked the Centre to file a compliance affidavit by September 11.
In its June 30 order, the Supreme Court said the government was required to pay ex-gratia compensation for Covid-19 deaths since Covid-19 was declared a notified disaster under the 2005 Act.

However, the court did not fix the quantum of compensation and left it to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to fix the amount while framing the guidelines within six weeks.

The order came on a batch of petitions seeking directions to the Centre and state governments to provide ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh under the Disaster Management Act (DMA) to the family of each who died due to Covid-19.

Courtesy:India Today