564 deaths in Ferozepur, ex gratia of Rs.96 lacs paid to 192 victims’ kin
DLSA to depute para legal volunteers for early process of ex gratia to COVID-19 victims’ kin
HARISH MONGA
Ferozepur, February 26, 2022: Following the directions of the Supreme Court to gather information on the progress made so far in the disbursement of the ex gratia compensation of Rs.50,000 to the kin of those who died of COVID-19, the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Ekta Uppal had a meeting with the district administration, and health officers of Ferozepur and Dr. Shilekh Mittal of Guru Gobind Singh College, Faridkot.
Supreme Court has said the compensation should be automatically paid on the presentation of the death and RT-PCR certificates of the patient and
CJM further informed that So far, against 564 deaths in the district, ex gratia payment of Rs.96,00,000 has been made only to 192 to the kin of victims and in 9 approved cases, payments are still pending.However, no claim has been rejected so far.
Out of 564 deaths in the district, 531 deaths due to Covid-19 were in the first and second wave and 33 in the third wave. The claim petitions have been received in 201 cases, out of which payments to 192 victims’ kin have been made while in 9 cases are pending, she added.
Divulging further, she said, the data of the 143 cases – 110 registered deaths and 33 cases which were earlier had no information with the health department of deaths due to Covid-19 - have been called and get the formalities completed by deputing the para-legal volunteers by coordinating with the concerned department and submitted to the concerned department for early release of ex gratia as per the guidelines of the government.
Apart from this, the health department has also been asked to expedite the data of the remaining 220 cases of Covid-19 deaths; to get their claims updated for the release of ex gratia immediately as every concerned authority should not be insensitive to the sufferings of families who lost their loved ones to Covid-19 by forcing them run from pillar to post to get their ex gratia compensation, said CJM.