Duplication suspected, over 2,053 ex gratia Covid claims under scanner

“As Aadhaar is not mandatory as per the directive of the Supreme Court, we are struggling to cross-check the claims. However, we will have another round of checking later,” said an officer from the state disaster management department.

The department has instructed all the district collectors to ensure the immediate return of the additional amount to the state. Officials from the department claimed that the discrepancy occurred as the relatives of the deceased file application claims from different districts, which are cleared by district disaster management authorities.

“Due to personal strife over the claims among the closest living relatives of the deceased, the kin often end up making different applications. We have personally called them asking them to return the additional claims,” said the official.

The state has been granting compensation of Rs 50,000 per death to the kin of the deceased patients. So far, the state has recovered duplicated compensation amount of Rs 13 lakh from 26 relatives.

“We have sent notices to all the relatives giving them an opportunity to return the money. If they don’t return the additional amount, FIRs will be registered against them under the Disaster Management Act,” added the officer.

While Maharashtra government’s official Covid-19 death toll stands at 1.48 lakh, the number of applications approved for seeking ex gratia has exceeded 32 per cent of the figure. The discrepancy between approved applications for ex gratia and the state’s official toll has occurred following the Supreme Court’s expansion of the denotation of confirmation of Covid-19 deaths.

Last year, the top court expanded the ambit of Covid-19 deaths in response to a petition filed by advocate Gaurav Bansal for ex gratia compensation. The court ruled that casualties occurring within 30 days from getting tested or clinically determined as Covid-19 case shall be considered as Covid-19 death, even if the death happened outside a health facility. Along with this, kin of victims of unnatural deaths like suicide who tested positive for Covid-19 posthumously will also be eligible for the ex gratia, the court had said.

“Earlier, the apex court asked us to disperse the amount to qualified beneficiaries. But now, authorities are also shocked to witness that people are dubiously applying for the compensation,” said the official.