HYDERABAD: The Congress party on Thursday demanded an ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh to the kin of those who died of Covid-19, and urged the State government to pursue the matter with the Centre.
In his letter addressed to Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, CLP leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka asked him to reconsider the announced ex gratia amount for helping out families which have undergone trauma and also drained all their financial resources.
While referring to the decision to provide Rs 50,000 to Covid victims from SDRF (State Disaster Response Fund) funds, the Congress leader demanded clarity from the state government, as SDRF norms require 75 per cent of the Rs 4 lakhs to be paid by the Central Government and the remaining 25 per cent to be the State government’s share.
“We demand that you commit to upholding the State government’s share of the ex gratia payment so that it pushes the Central government to fulfil its commitment to the affected citizens. We also demand a detailed survey to create an authentic Covid death register so that all those excluded can rightfully access compensation,” Vikramarka added.