CHENNAI: Health Minister Ma Subramanian on Sunday said the State has so far given Rs 50,000 ex gratia to 20,934 eligible people who lost their kin to Covid-19, as promised by CM MK Stalin. The total amount disbursed till date in this regard is Rs 104.67 crore, he added.
Speaking to reporters, Subramanian said 42,671 people had applied online for the compensation, of which 20,934 received Rs 50,00 each. The remaining 18,863 applications are pending, he added. The CM had launched the scheme on December 8.
The State government has also distributed a total of Rs 93.15 crore to family members of frontline workers who lost their lives to the virus. Each family received Rs 25 lakh ex-gratia, as announced before, he said. The minister added that Rs 207 crore has been distributed to 6,483 children who lost both their parents or one parent to the virus.
He was responding to Opposition leader Edappadi K Palaniswami’s statement urging the State to give compensation to people who lost their loved ones to Covid-19, as promised by the Chief Minister.