Consider giving jobs, ex-gratia to family of judicial officers who died of Covid-19: HC

New delhi: The Delhi government on Thursday told the Delhi High Court that it has now declared judicial officers as frontline workers for the purpose of Covid vaccination and that it will consider ex-gratia to the kin of officials who died of Covid-19.

The Delhi High Court Thursday asked the AAP government to consider with empathy and sensitivity the issue of granting ex-gratia and compassionate appointment to family members of judicial officers, who died of COVID-19, as judges have been recognised as frontline workers by the state itself.

The Delhi government informed the court that the category is created primarily for the purpose of vaccination only and in future, if there are other aspects covered, it shall be extended to judicial officers also.

The court was also informed that the government was looking into the aspect of granting ex-gratia and compassionate appointment to family members of judicial officers, who died of COVID-19.

The bench said, "We hope and expect the Delhi government to approach the matter with adequate empathy and sensitivity considering the fact that judicial officers have been recognised frontline workers by the Delhi government itself."

The court was hearing a petition by a group of lawyers, including Shobha Gupta and Rajesh Sachdeva, seeking a coordination mechanism for judicial officers are they were unable to get COVID-19 medical treatment and beds in hospitals.

The association's application was filed in the pending petition raising the issues of medical facilities for judicial officers here.

The court disposed of the petition and the application along with another plea seeking certain reliefs for court staff, noting that the issues raised are adequately addressed.

Senior advocate Dayan Krishnan, representing the association, said after the court's earlier order, the Delhi government had addressed the issues in a positive manner and the principal secretary (law) has been appointed as nodal officer for interacting with all the district judges for Covid positive

officers.

Regarding another lawyer's prayer that judicial officers and staff who go for treatment at non empanelled hospitals be reimbursed with the expenditure, the court said it would be premature to pass an order directing the government to clear all the claims.

In our view, it would not be justified to pass blanket orders directing the government to pass all such claims as it needs to be examined in each case, it said.