New Delhi: Data submitted by countries at the Supreme Court showed that the number of Covid compensation claims received by some of them far exceeded their official deaths.
In Gujarat and Telangana, each as high as nine and seven times, while in the absolute number, the gap between toll claims and official compensation is the largest in Maharashtra.
The number of claims is generally expected to be higher than the official victim because the SC guidelines, which are seen as wider and more liberal in their definitions – mandates that all deaths, including those by suicide, are recorded within 30 days after being positively treated as Covid’s death.
However, the gap is very high in several countries.
According to data with SC, which monitors the implementation of its order to ensure that compensation is paid to all affected families, the number of claims received so far in Gujarat is 89,633 against the official toll road 10,094.
The country has so far approved 68,370 claims and the amount of compensation which is disbursed to 58,840 families, while rejecting 4,234 applications.
In Telangana, compared to official figures of 3,993 deaths, around 29,000 claims have been received, where 15,270 was approved.
For Maharashtra, claims to add up to 2.13 lakh against official victims of 1.41 lakh.
There are several states where the number of applications of claims received by the government is lower than the official toll road.
Gaps can be due to ignorance, especially in rural areas, about the compensation scheme.
The court has been in December directing all states to provide broad publicity through print and electronic media, especially in vernacular newspapers, to notify people about how and where to apply for ex Gratia.
Expressing satisfaction of the Gujarat government’s decision to publish advertisements in newspapers, it has directed other countries to use the same advertising format.
The SC decision which expanded the Ambit Covid death came to the petition by social activist Gaurav Bansal for Payment of Compensation Rs 50,000 to the families of victims of the virus.
Death occurs within 30 days from the date of testing or from clinical dates determined as a Covid-19 case must be treated as death because Covid-19 even if death takes place outside the hospital / hospitalization, the court has ruled.
It also said that family members from someone who committed suicide within 30 days of being diagnosed as a positive Covid-19 must also be entitled to get financial assistance / ex Gratia.
The court has also explained that it does not care about the accusation of reporting death and that the focus is to ensure people must get assistance and the government must work on that goal.
According to the data compiled by the center, the number of applications of claims is less than the number of deaths stated officially in various other states, including Assam, Haryana, Karnataka, Punjabthan.
In Punjab, 8,786 claims applications have been received so far against the official mortality rate of 16,557.
In Karnataka, the number of applications of claims received is 27,325 against the mortality rate 38,376.
In Jammu & Kashmir, the number of deaths recorded is 4,483 while 3.115 applications have been received for compensation.