Express RTI: Delhi govt received 214 applications from Covid warrior families for compensation, cleared 58

In effect, 156 applications were yet to be approved for compensation — 73% of the total 214 applicants.

Delhi government officials, when contacted, explained that this was before the process to disburse compensation picked up speed, after the issue reached the Delhi High Court late last year.

A government statement on Wednesday said that a total of 73 applications — 34% of the total applications — have been approved for ex gratia compensation till date.

A Delhi government official said the delay was attributable to the tedious verification process, including the verification of the documents required to claim compensation.

The documents required to claim ex gratia compensation include the Report of Death Audit Committee, Report of Medical Superintendent/In-Charge of the Hospital/Medical Institution, information regarding bonafide beneficiary, a cancelled cheque, complete account details and a copy of the Aadhaar card of the parents and/or spouse of the deceased.

“Standing instructions are in place to bureaucrats and government officials concerned to process such claims as soon as possible; the reason for the delay is solely the lethargy which protracts an already thorough procedure,” the official said.

On May 13, 2020, the Delhi Cabinet had decided that if any person, “including doctor, nurse, paramedical staff, security/sanitation staff or any other govt officer/official including police officer/official, whether temporary or permanent employee or contractual”, in any government department or from the private sector deployed for Covid duties by the Delhi government “expires by contracting the disease during discharge of his duties, his/her family shall be paid an ex gratia of amount one crore, posthumously”.

After the issue of non-disbursal of compensation reached the Delhi High Court last month – through a plea by the wife of the first Delhi Police officer to succumb to Covid-19 while enforcing the lockdown in 2020 – the process gathered pace, with the Delhi government approving 14 more claims on January 13.

On Wednesday, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Revenue Minister Kailash Gahlot and Environment Minister Gopal Rai met the families of an officer in the Health Department, a Delhi Transport Corporation conductor and a government school teacher who died of Covid, and disbursed the compensation.

Those who have got the ex gratia amount include doctors, nurses, sanitation workers, civil defence volunteers, police personnel, teachers and lab technicians. While some were permanent government employees, others were hired on contractual basis by Delhi government departments.

On December 15 last year, Pooja, wife of Delhi Police constable Amit Kumar who was posted at Deep Chand Bandhu Hospital to ensure adherence to Covid-19 lockdown measures and died during the first wave of Covid, had moved a plea in the Delhi High Court, demanding compensation. The Delhi government contended that Kumar was not on Covid management duty per se, which was opposed by the counsel for Kumar’s wife, who argued that Kumar had indeed died in the line of duty.

The court had observed that the Delhi government cannot “resile” from its announcement to award an ex gratia payment of Rs 1 crore to the deceased’s kin and the same “can no longer be delayed.” The matter comes up for hearing next on February 2.