SC directs NDMA to issue fresh norms for providing financial help to kin of COVID-19 victims
New Delhi, Jun 30: The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to issue fresh guidelines for providing minimum standards of financial help to families of those who lost their lives to COVID-19.
A special bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan and M R Shah said that the court cannot direct the Centre to fix a particular amount of financial help but the government can fix the minimum standard of amount to be paid as ex-gratia to family members of those who lost their lives due to COVID-19 while keeping various aspects in mind.
The top court directed the Centre and the NDMA to issue fresh guidelines within six week for minimum standard of relief to be granted to families of victims of COVID-19.
It also directs the authorities to issue appropriate guidelines for simplification of process of issuance of death certificates for Covid fatalities.
The top court asked the Centre to consider formulating an insurance scheme for cremation workers as proposed by the Finance Commission.
The bench also rejected the argument of the Centre for reading shall as may in section 12 of the Disaster Management Act for grant of ex-gratia amount to victims of disaster, and said that the NDMA has failed to perform its statutory duties.
The top court's verdict came on a batch of pleas seeking ex-gratia compensation of Rs four lakh to the dependents of those who died of Covid and formulation of uniform guidelines for issuance of death certificates for Covid fatalities.
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Two forest officials in ACB net for taking Rs 3.5 lakh bribe in Telangana
Hyderabad (PTI): Two forest officials were caught red-handed on Thursday for allegedly taking Rs 3.5 lakh bribe in Bhadradri Kothagudem district, the Telangana ACB said.
S Sujatha, Forest Divisional Officer, Bhadrachalam and B Krishna, Deputy Range Officer of Tegada, were caught by the ACB while they demanded and accepted an illegal gratification of Rs 3.5 lakh from a complainant at the Forest Divisional office, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) said in a release.
The bribe was demanded "for not registering cases against the complainant for allegedly causing damage to forest trees, while laying 2 km BT road from Pusuguppa village, Charla mandal in Bhadradri Kothagudem district to the Chattisgarh broder which was completed in 2025, and also not to disturb the complainant in his present and future works," it said.
The accused officers had initially demanded Rs 10 lakh bribe, and subsequently, on the request of the complainant, they reduced the bribe demand to Rs 3.5 lakh, the ACB alleged, adding that the tainted currency was recovered from the accused.
The accused officers performed their duties "improperly and dishonestly" to obtain undue advantage, the ACB said. The case is under investigation.
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