SDPI WELCOMES THE SUPREME COURT ORDER FOR EX-GRATIA TO COVID DEATHS

New Delhi, 30th June 2021: The National President of Social Democratic Party of India M.K. Faizy welcomes the judgment of Supreme Court ordering the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to ascertain ex-gratia for Covid deaths within 6 weeks. The three judge bench of Supreme Court has clearly pointed out that the NDMA has failed miserably to discharge its functions by not recommending ex-gratia assistance. This judgment of the Supreme Court is an eye opener and reprimand to the Union Government and NDMA that it cannot neglect the disaster management and relief to the victims.

Faizy said, the Supreme Court repeated that the NDMA has a statutory obligation to frame guidelines for recommending minimum ex-gratia assistance for the victims of Covid pandemic. Section 12 of the Disaster Management Act directs a statutory obligation on NDMA to recommend minimum relief for the victims. It’s a pity that the Union Government tried to avoid the ex-gratia by arguing that Section 12 was not a mandatory provision. However the court ordered that the section uses the word ‘Shall’ and hence the ex-gratia is mandatory.

Faizy demanded that the Union Government has to provide ex-gratia of Rs.5 Lakhs to the family of every Covid deaths in the country. Faizy also demanded that the post-Covid deaths should also be considered as the victims of Covid pandemic to provide ex-gratia to the families of deceased.