SC refuses to entertain plea seeking guidelines for ex-gratia to families of COVID-19 victims

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a petition seeking to issue guidelines throughout the country for granting ex-gratia to the families of those who died due to COVID-19.

While dismissing the petition, a bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan, said, "every state have a different policy to deal with it based on its finances, policy, etc. There can't be directions from the top court".

The petitioner pleaded to the apex court that it should pass appropriate orders and or directions and guidelines throughout the country for giving ex-gratia to the families of those who died due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

"We are only asking for a national policy to be formulated which is uniform," the petitioner submitted before the apex court during the course of the hearing today.

Justice Bhushan said, "We are dismissing it".

According to the wesbite of the Ministry of Health and Family Affairs, as many as 57,542 people have lost their lives due to the virus, which has infected a total number of 31,06,349 people. However, there are currently only 7,10,771 active cases of COVID-19 across the country.

( With inputs from ANI )