SC grants Centre 4 more weeks for framing guidelines on Covid ex-gratia

The Supreme Court on Monday granted four weeks more time to the Centre to frame the guidelines on ex-gratia assistance and compensation to the families of people who died due to Covid-19.

A division bench of the Apex Court, headed by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, and comprising Justice M.R. Shah directed the Centre to submit any action report on the other guidelines as referred to in the earlier judgement authored by Justice Shah, and comprising of Justice (Now Retired) Ashok Bhushan, on June 30 this year. The Central government had filed an application before the apex court seeking extension of time to comply with the earlier judgement pronounced by Justice (Now Retired) Bhushan in the petitions filed by lawyers, seeking ex Gratia compensation for those family members, who died due to the pandemic.

“An extension of four weeks is being granted for framing of guidelines as directed in the judgment of June 30, 2021, with regards to other guidelines an action is taken report may be submitted except for 16(1),” the bench said on Monday.

The Supreme Court had in its judgement on 30 June, directed the Centre to frame guidelines to pay ex gratia compensation to the families of those who died due to Covid 19.

A three-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Justice (Retired now) Ashok Bhushan, in its judgment, had on 30 June 2021, directed the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to ascertain within six weeks whether the ex-gratia amount can be paid to the family members of those who died due to Covid-19.

The court had also said in its judgement that the NDMA, is statutorily mandated to provide the minimum amount of relief, including ex-gratia amount of compensation to the Covid victims.