Finances overstretched, can’t pay Rs.4 lakh ex gratia for Covid deaths: Govt.

With India recording over 3.86 lakh Covid deaths, the Centre told the Supreme Court on Sunday that the Central government and states, whose finances are over-stretched in fighting the pandemic on health,economic and social welfare fronts, could not afford to pay Rs. 4 lakh compensation to the families of each Covid-19 victim as per the Disaster Management Act.

The Centre’s affidavit was filed in the SC in response to its May 24 order directing additional solicitor general Aishwarya Bhatt to submit a response to writ petitions filed by advocates Gaurav Bansal and Reepak Kansal seeking Rs.4 lakh compensation to the families of each Covid-19 victim as per Section 12  of the DM Act and as per the April 8,2015, letter of the home ministry fixing the amount of compensation for those succumbing to events classified as disaster under the law.