COVID compensation: Odisha districts to form committees for issuing death document

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Government has directed all District Collectors and Municipal Commissioners to form committees for issuance of COVID-19 death document to the family members of deceased for disbursal of compensation.

The committee will be constituted by the Collector at the district-level. The members of the committee will be as follows:

* Additional District Magistrate.

* Chief District Medical & Public Health Officer.

* Principal or HOD, Medicine of a Medical College (If it exists in the district).

* A subject expert.

The committee will be responsible for issuance of “Official Document for COVID-19 Death”. The Committee will follow the procedure as outlined in the guideline of Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.

Worth mentioning, the Supreme Court has approved the Centre’s proposal of paying Rs 50,000 to the next of kin of those who succumbed to the viral disease.

The apex court told the district disaster management authorities (DDMA) and the grievance redressal committees to avoid any technicalities and act as a helping hand, as it ruled that no state government would deny Rs 50,000 ex-gratia assistance to the kin of Covid victims, solely on the ground that the death certificate did not mention the viral disease as cause of death.

A bench of justices M.R. Shah and A.S. Bopanna said: “All endeavours shall be made by the district disaster management authority/district administration and even the grievance redressal committee to avoid any technicalities and all concerned authorities shall act as a helping hand, so as to wipe off the tears of those who have suffered because of the loss of a family member due to Covid-19.”

The bench said: “No state shall deny the ex-gratia assistance of Rs 50,000 to the next of kin of the deceased solely on the ground that in the death certificate issued by the appropriate authority, the cause of death is not mentioned as died due to Covid-19.”

(With IANS inputs)