New Delhi: In a landmark judgment today the Supreme Court of India has said that the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is the statutorily mandated to give minimum standards of relief, which should include ex-gratia for those who have died due to Covid-19. It has also directed the NDMA to frame guidelines within six weeks under Section 12 of the Disaster Management Act for recommendation of minimum standard of relief. The bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan said that the NDMA has failed in discharging its statutory duty by not providing the ex-gratia amount.
The Supreme Court also said that the death certificate issued for Covid-19 patients should have simple guidelines, including the date and cause of death. The apex court was hearing PILs filed by advocates Gaurav Kumar Bansal and Reepak Kansal seeking its intervention for payment of Rs Four Lakh ex-gratia Covid victims.