New Delhi: Compensation for families of Delhi government employees who died due to Covid-19 will now be monitored by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal himself.
The state government in a Cabinet meeting has approved the formation of a dedicated 'Group of Ministers' who will handle COVID-19 compensation cases of all the state government employees including doctors, nurses, paramedics, healthcare and frontline workers among others.
The Group of Ministers will be headed by Deputy CM Manish Sisodia and consist of Health Minister Satyendar Jain and Revenue Minister Kailash Gahlot.
The 'Group of Ministers' will individually examine every case and send its recommendations to the CM who will be the final authority.
The CM will take charge of dispensing compensation and act as the final authority in case of discrepancies, the government said in a statement.
"Crucial time was being lost as the papers were being shuffled from department to department hence the 'Group of Ministers' has been formed," a senior government official said. Apart from time wastage errors of miscommunication will also be eliminated through the new process, the official added.
During the meeting, Kejriwal informed the ministers that as a responsible and sensitive government, the entire state government must look after the family of every single employee on COVID duty like their own and stand with them in the need of the hour.
"This move will greatly benefit the grieving families of all COVID warriors by expediting the compensation procedure. The compensation will be dispensed in record time," the issued statement added.
Kejriwal had earlier announced a compensation of Rs 1 crore for employees who were martyred on Covid duty. The CM had announced that any person including Doctors, Nurses, Paramedical Staff, Security or Sanitation staff or any other Government Officer or Official, including Police Officer or Official, whether temporary or permanent employee or contractual in Government or Private Sector, deployed for COVID-19 duties by the state government, expires by contracting the disease during discharge of their duty, their family will be paid an ex gratia amount of Rs 1 crore.
Significantly, this comes after nursing officers in Delhi hospitals started protesting against the non-disbursal of compensation amounts to the families of their colleagues, who lost their lives to the virus during the pandemic. They had last week also written to L-G Anil Baijal — threatening strikes if the compensation amount is not paid to families of nursing officers.
Many have also started wearing black ribbons on duty as a form of protest.