₹50K ex-gratia, monthly pension: Delhi govt notifies scheme for Covid victims’ kin

Delhi government on Tuesday notified a scheme to provide financial assistance to families who have lost a loved one due to COVID-19. According to the notification from the Department of Social Welfare, under the Mukhyamantri COVID-19 Pariwar Aarthik Sahayata Yojana, ₹50,000 will be given as a donation to each family that has lost a member due to COVID-19. In addition, a pension of ₹2,500 per month would be given to families who have lost their only breadwinner due to the pandemic.

The scheme was announced by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on May 18. He also promised free education and financial assistance for children who lost one or both parents.

Social Welfare Department's notification reads: "The government will also consider a single member of the affected family to be enrolled as a civil defense volunteer. In addition, the state affirms to look after the health and education needs of dependent children as per existing policy."

There are no income criteria to apply for ex-gratia under the scheme.

The notification said: "Deceased and dependent both should be from Delhi ... Death must be established as COVID-19 death or death within one month of positive Covid test and verified by Ministry of Health as Covid death ".

Addressing a digital press conference, Kejriwal had on May 18 said: "For every family in which a death occurred due to Covid, ex-gratia of â‚¹50,000 will be provided."

He said: "There are also many families where the earning member has died due to COVID-19. These families will receive a monthly pension of ₹2,500 plus the ex-gratia of â‚¹50,000

Children who have lost their both parents or single parent to COVID-19 will also receive ₹2,500 per month till they achieve 25 years of age. He said the Delhi government will also provide free education to them.

Delhi COVID update

Delhi saw 134 new COVID-19 cases, 467 recoveries, and eight deaths in the past 24 hours.

There was a marginal increase in cases compared to Monday when the city saw 89 new cases of the coronavirus.

The city also posted its lowest positivity rate at 0.16 percent on Monday.

The total number of cases in the national capital amounts to 1,432,778, including 1,918 active cases. Delhi reported 1,900 active cases on March 10 this year and the number of active cases today is the lowest since then.

The positivity rate stood at 0.2 percent on Tuesday, according to a bulletin from the Delhi Department of Health.

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