Kin of Delhi COVID victims to get additional Rs 50,000 from DDRF

The amount will be given in addition to the financial aid of Rs 50,000 being provided by the Delhi government.

New Delhi: Families that have lost loved ones to COVID-19 in Delhi will get a one-time ex gratia assistance of Rs 50,000 from the Delhi Disaster Response Fund (DDRF), in addition to the financial aid of Rs 50,000 being provided by the city government, officials said on Wednesday.

Senior government officials said directions have been issued to district magistrates to disburse ex gratia assistance of Rs 50,000 out of the DDRF to such families and a public notice in this regard is expected to be issued on the weekend.

Around 21,000 such families have received financial assistance of Rs 50,000 under the Delhi government's "Mukhyamantri COVID-19 Pariwar Aarthik Sahayata Yojana" scheme. Now, they will also receive an ex gratia of Rs 50,000 out of the DDRF, a senior official said.

Criteria for application

Applicants are required to apply directly to the concerned district magistrate in GNCT of Delhi for COVID-19 death-related ex-gratia assistance and District Disaster Management Authority/district administration will release funds directly to the beneficiary in accordance with guidelines, the DDMA said in an order.

Ex-gratia assistance of Rs 50,000 from DDRF will be released without calling of any fresh application in respect of all those cases where compensation of Rs 50,000 has been released by the districts under the Mukhyamantri COVID-19 Pariwar Aarthik Sahayata Yojna, it stated.

All districts have been directed to maintain a separate database in respect of ex gratia assistance released from the DDRF. A separate window under the e-district portal will be made available for this purpose, the order said.

In September, the National Disaster Management Authority had issued guidelines for ex gratia assistance to the next of kin of Covid victims which read: "The authority recommends an amount of Rs 50,000 per deceased person including those involved in relief operations or associated in preparedness activities, subject to the cause of death being certified as COVID-19."

"The ex gratia assistance shall be provided by states from the State Disaster Response Fund," it had said.

A senior official said, "Families which have already received aid under the Delhi government scheme will not have to apply for the ex gratia out of the DDRF separately. We have their details, and they will be immediately provided with the financial assistance in their bank accounts or whatever mode they had opted for the aid under the scheme."

Families that have not yet availed the assistance under the scheme can apply on the e-District Delhi portal, and their application will be automatically submitted for the DDRF aid too, he said.

The SDRF was constituted by states under provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005. The Centre contributes 75 per cent of SDRF allocation for the general category of states and 90 per cent for special category states, including the northeastern states, Uttarakhand, Himachal and Jammu and Kashmir.

Under the Mukhyamantri COVID-19 Pariwar Aarthik Sahayata Yojana notified in June last year, the Social Welfare Department of the Delhi government is also providing a monthly assistance of Rs 2,500 to households that have lost their sole breadwinner and to children orphaned due to the pandemic.