New Delhi: In its reply to the Supreme Court docket about giving ex gratia compensation of Rs four lakh to the households of COVID-19 victims, the central authorities on Monday got here out prioritising the administration for Covid, somewhat than compensating.
The federal government, whereas denying the concept of ex-gratia compensation defined that amidst Covid-19 administration, the funds of central and state authorities are beneath sufficient extreme pressure that additional compensating Rs four lakh can be past the federal government’s fiscal affordability.
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The assertion comes as a reply to a petition the Supreme Court docket had sought Centre’s stand on. Offering Rs four lakh to the households of those that misplaced their family members to Covid-19 and a uniform coverage for issuing loss of life certificates to these succumbing to the virus was the 2 petitions the highest courtroom had sought the Centre’s response on, again in Might.
Solicitor Normal Tushar Mehta, who appeared in entrance of the courtroom mentioned, “It’s not that we do not need cash… It’s that our focus is somewhat on the expenditure of cash for different issues [like public health interventions, social protection, and economic recovery for the affected communities, etc]”.
To this, senior advocate S.B. Upadhyay, who appeared for the petitioners within the courtroom highlighted that in case the federal government has the cash, they’re obliged to adjust to Part 12 of the Catastrophe Administration Act to supply ex gratia help to Covid-19 victims, including that it was the federal government itself who had declared Covid-19 a nationwide catastrophe.
Advocate Gaurav Kumar Bansal, a petitioner, mentioned, “The quantity could be much less small or huge, however some assist must be given to households, a few of whom have misplaced their sole breadwinners. Households of frontline warriors who misplaced their lives within the line of responsibility can’t be left in a lurch”.
After some additional discussions, the courtroom has reserved the petitions for judgment.
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