New Delhi : Justice Prathiba M Singh of the Delhi High Court asked the Delhi Government to explain why is it yet to pay compensation to a Mohalla clinic doctor who succumbed to Covid in 2020. Justice Prathiba M Singh observed that in the case filed by the kin of the deceased doctor the fact was that the deceased was a doctor and thus was eligible to receive compensation under the government scheme which has not been disputed by the Government. Hence there is no reason why there should be so much delayin the payment of the compensation amount to his family Justice Singh said.
The court was hearing a petition filed by the deceased’s kin who claimed that despite repeated requests they have not been given the Rs 1 crore compensation announced by the Delhi government for Covid warriors as well as the Centre under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan package for such cases.“This is not a doubtful case at all,” the judge said while seeking a “specific affidavit” in relation to both the schemes from the government.
The petitioners’ lawyer said the deceased worked as a doctor at a Mohalla clinic and he succumbed to Covid on June 15, 2020. Two years and 10 months have passed since his demise but the authorities are yet to release the compensation amount. The Delhi Government meanwhile has informed the court that the government in 2020 decided to give Rs 1 crore to the families of those who died during Covid duties and a compensation amount was also announced.