On the second day of winter session of Jharkhand Assembly, State Health Minister Banna Gupta informed the House that 5,142 people had lost their lives due to corona infection since the pandemic broke out last year in March.
Gupta was replying to a query made by Congress legislator from Jamtara Irfan Ansari, who targeting the Government, said that the State Government is hiding corona death figures. Ansari said that as per Government record the number of casualties due to corona infection is 5142 which is incorrect; the Government is hiding the actual death figure.
In response to allegations made by fellow party men, Gupta said that the figure is correct. He further said that if someone has doubts about the number of corona casualties then on the directive of Deputy Commissioners every district has a committee; concerned people can submit the report of death due to corona infection to concerned committees, based on which the committee will add such names.
The Jamtara MLA also raised the issue of increasing the compensation amount for corona victims. Ansari said that in Bihar, the State Government has announced Rs 4 lakh each to the deceased of a corona victim, while in Jharkhand the compensation or ex-gratia amount has been fixed to Rs 50,000 each. On the query raised by the MLA, the Speaker intervening on the issue said that the legislator can sit and discuss the issue with the minister.
It may be noted that the Jharkhand government last week, announced an ex-gratia of Rs 50,000 each for the kin of 5,133 people who died of COVID-19 in the State. Health and Disaster Management Minister Banna Gupta said that Rs 25.26 crore will be transferred to the accounts of the kin of the deceased who died in the corona pandemic.
The minister further stated that the respective Deputy Commissioners (DCs) of all 24 districts have been directed to ensure the money distribution among corona victim dependents. Issuing a directive in this regard, Gupta said "we cannot compensate for the death caused by the global pandemic but stand along with the families of those who lost their members." The minister said the family members of the victims can apply in online or offline mode.
The decision of Jharkhand to provide compensatory relief to family members of corona victims assumes importance as in October this year, the Supreme Court, approved the ex-gratia policy of Rs 50,000 to families of people who died of Covid-19. “Next kin of the deceased shall be paid an amount of Rs 50,000 and it will be over and above the amounts paid by Centre and State under various benevolent schemes,” a bench of Justices M R Shah and A S Bopanna had said.