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New Delhi, March 24
The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed the Centre to inquiry into pretend claims for ex-gratia compensation meant for relations of Covid-19 victims in Maharashtra, Kerala, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh, saying “no person could be permitted to avail the compensation by submitting a false dying certificates.
“We permit the National Disaster Management Authority/Union of India, through the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, to carry out the random scrutiny of 5 percent of the claim applications by the States of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Kerala and Maharashtra at the first instance,” a Bench led by Justice MR Shah mentioned.
The authorities can confirm 5 per cent of claims within the 4 the place the hole between variety of claims and recorded deaths was broad, the Bench mentioned, including if it’s discovered that anyone has made a pretend declare, the identical shall be thought-about below Section 52 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, and punished accordingly.
It set a 60-day deadline for all individuals eligible as on date to use for the ex-gratia compensation and 90 days for future claimants. The earlier order to course of the claims and to make the precise fee of compensation in 30 days from the date of receipt of declare shall proceed, it added.
It ordered the states involved to offer broad publicity to its order fortnightly for a interval of six weeks by way of print and digital media in order that the claimants can know the time restrict fastened by this Court for making claims.
Acting on PILs looking for an ex-gratia fee of Rs 4 lakh every to the households of COVID-19 victims, the Bench had on June 30 final yr directed the NDMA to border tips for it, saying the authority was statutorily mandated to offer minimal reduction, together with ex-gratia to the victims of the pandemic.
On October 4, 2021, it had mentioned that states can’t deny the ex-gratia compensation of Rs 50,000 to the following of kin of those that died as a result of COVID-19 solely on the bottom that the dying certificates didn’t point out the virus as the reason for dying.
“We never imagined that this can be misused also. This is a very pious work and we thought that our morality has not gone so down that in this also there will be some fake claims… And if some officials are involved, it makes it even worse. It’s a very serious thing,” the Bench had mentioned on March 14.
Concerned over pretend COVID-19 dying certificates being issued for ex-gratia compensation, the highest courtroom had on March 7 requested the federal government to recommend measures to curb it. “What is worrying is the fake certificate given by doctors… It is a very serious thing… Please suggest how we can curb the issue of fake certificates being issued by the doctors. It may take away someone’s real opportunity”, it mentioned.
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