Settle benefits of serving employees who die of Covid on priority: Finance Ministry

Tribune News Service

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Chandigarh, May 17

The Ministry of Finance has directed all government departments to settle on a priority the terminal benefits and other dues of employees who die of Covid-19 while in service.

A memorandum sent to all controllers of accounts in government establishment this week states that many serving officials and other functionaries in various ministries and departments have lost their lives due to this disease.

It is imperative that in difficult times the Indian Civil Accounts Organisation support the officials and particularly the families of deceased officials by ensuring disbursal of admissible medical reimbursement claims, immediate relief, terminal benefits and other allowances as well as the disposal of family pension cases on priority basis, the memorandum read.

Earlier this month, the ministry had tweaked the rules on payment of immediate monetary relief to the family of a government employee who dies in service due to Covid-19, to allow payment of immediate relief to the bereaved family to be made in cash instead of electronic transfer so that delays can be avoided due to restrictive office functioning in times of pandemic.

In accordance with the Receipt and Payments Rules, all payments above Rs 5,000 made to government servants, or those to other parties, are to be made by electronically signed payment advices for direct credit to their bank accounts.

According to fresh orders issued by the Department of Expenditure, in the unprecedented situation ministries and departments have been permitted to permitted to draw and disburse the eligible amount of relief in cash either from interest or from other sources or by drawing cash from the bank in order to provide immediate relief as expeditiously as possible.

This advance would be adjusted against arrears of pay and allowances, leave salary, death gratuity provident fund or any other payment due in respect of the deceased employee.