The Congress in Gujarat took out a march across the state on Monday to demand Rs 4 lakh compensation from the government for the family members of each of those who have died due to COVID-19 in the state.
The 'Nyay Padyatra' (march for justice) was taken out across eight metros and 33 district headquarters. The state Congress President Jagdish Thakor said they submitted memorandums to the district collectors at the end of the rally.
Through this exercise, the opposition party aims to highlight the difficulties faced by the affected families in getting their applications cleared for the ex gratia compensation of Rs 50,000, he said.
The Gujarat Congress alleged that more than three lakh people have lost their lives due to the “criminal negligence” and “clumsy administration” of the government during the pandemic.
Chief spokesperson of Gujarat Congress Manish Doshi said it was “totally unreasonable and unjust” that people have to run from pillar to post to get their applications approved for compensation.
The number of applications submitted by the next of kin of the deceased for Rs 50,000 ex gratia is way more than the state government's official COVID-19 death figure of 10,648, he said.
The Supreme Court had on Friday last week reiterated that applications seeking compensation should not be rejected on technical grounds. It had in its earlier orders directed the state to pay an ex gratia of Rs 50,000 to the families of COVID-19 fatalities.
In one of its orders in the case, the apex court had said that no state shall deny ex gratia solely on the ground that the death certificate does not mention the virus as the cause of death.
Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi said, "The government should answer why it had to reject more than 15,000 applications, and why it has not publicized the issue of compensation in such a way that the poor and common man gets information."