Supreme Court refuses to order uniform ex gratia for Covid victims

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New Delhi, August 24: The Supreme Court has refused to order a uniform ex gratia to kin of those who died of Covid-19. The top court said the decisions had financial implications and were best left to the executive. Every state may have a different policy depending on its finances, the court said. 

Dismissing a petition filed by Hashik Thayikandy, who sought an emergency relief plan to help out thousands affected by the loss of kin to the pandemic, a three-judge bench comprising Justices Ashok Bhushan, Subhash Reddy and MR Shah said that the court could not direct a uniform scheme throughout the country as much depended on finances and policies of each state, The Economic Times reported. 

Appearing for the petitioner, advocate Deepak Prakash argued that the state was under constitutional obligation to take care of people in a war like emergency. He made a special mention of weaker sections to argue for a special relief plan under the National Disaster Management Act. 

The Centre had earlier announced ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh per family only to backtrack. The withdrawal may have been after pressure from state governments, already under strain caused by the pandemic. The health infrastructure has been stretched and many on the frontline have been affected. Over 57,000 people have lost their lives in the pandemic sweeping across the country. More than 31 lakh have tested positive, so far and there are 7,10,000 known active cases. 

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/sc-refuses-to-entertain-plea-for-national-policy-for-compensation-to-covid-19-victims/articleshow/77716540.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

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