The Bombay High Court has ordered the payment of INR 50 lakh as ex-gratia compensation to the family of a municipal sanitation worker who died after contracting COVID-19 while on duty during the pandemic.
The deceased worker, employed with a municipal council in Maharashtra, had been assigned frontline duties during the COVID-19 outbreak. He contracted the virus in the course of his work and later passed away. His family subsequently applied for compensation under a government resolution that provides financial assistance to families of government employees who died due to COVID-19 while performing official duties.
However, the claim was delayed due to procedural and technical issues, including documentation and administrative requirements.
A division bench of the High Court ruled that such technicalities cannot be used to deny rightful compensation. The court observed that when it is clear that the employee died after contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty, authorities must ensure that the family receives the benefits without unnecessary delay.
The court directed the concerned authorities to process and disburse the compensation within a stipulated time frame, emphasising that administrative lapses should not come in the way of justice for families of frontline workers.
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