Appoint nodal officers to facilitate payment of Covid ex gratia to victim families, SC tells states

New Delhi, February 4

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The Supreme Court on Friday ordered state governments and union territories to appoint nodal officers to coordinate with the member secretary of state legal service authorities (SLSAs) concerned to facilitate payment of ex gratia compensation to families of COVID-19 victims.

”We…direct the concerned state governments to appoint a dedicated officer, not below the rank of deputy secretary in Chief Minister Secretariat, who shall be in constant touch with the member secretary of the state legal service authority so that he may coordinate with him and see to it that the applications are received from eligible persons,” a Bench led by Justice MR Shah said.

The Bench – which had last year ordered ex gratia of Rs 50,000 to be paid the next of kin of COVID-19 victims—directed them to furnish particulars such as name, address and death certificate to the concerned SLSA, including details with respect to orphans, within one week.

Warning that failure to do so shall be taken very seriously, it said posting the matter for hearing on March 7.

While hearing petitions seeking ex gratia assistance to families of COVID-19 victims, the top court pulled up the Maharashtra Government for rejecting applications for compensation submitted offline.

”No application should be rejected for any application which is submitted offline. You are not doing charity. As a welfare state it is their duty. Why are you sending people from pillar to post. Do it from the bottom of the heart,” it said.

The Bench reiterated that applications seeking compensation should not be rejected on technical grounds. If any technical glitch was there, the state concerned should give them an opportunity to cure defects as the ultimate goal of the welfare state was to provide some solace and compensation to victims.

States should make all endeavours to pay the compensation to the victims within a maximum period of 10 days from the receipt of the claim, it emphasised.

The endeavour of legal services authority would be to reach out to those sufferers/victims who have yet not approached for whatever reasons, it added.