A voluntary organisation has come forward to help families who have lost their loved ones to Covid apply to the state government for an ex-gratia of Rs 50,000.
As part of the initiative, launched on Friday, the organisation is offering free legal aid to families who are facing difficulties in applying for the money.
Only about 20 people have applied for the ex-gratia in Kolkata till Friday, though the number of Covid deaths in the city is over 5,200, said an official of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC).
The Supreme Court had asked all state governments to hand over the ex-gratia by December 10, but officials admitted that the work was far from over.
The KMC is responsible for disbursing the ex-gratia to the victims’ families living in the Kolkata municipal area.
Das said an advocate at the Supreme Court was talking to the bar association of the apex court to enlist members for the cause.
Chowdhury said people in many other states were facing immense trouble as the administrations were not very cooperative in helping the claimants.
“This is something that cannot be solved by policy or a government. Rather it depends on local officials. An ignorant person will be harassed more,” said Chowdhury, who is also a member of the Bengal government’s Covid task force.
A lawyer said he had come across complaints that touts or officials were asking for a part of the ex-gratia to help applicants get necessary documents.
The official said family members of Covid victims were facing hassles in obtaining a legal heir certificate or an affidavit from a magistrate or the notary public, documents that have to be submitted with the application.
These two documents are like an oath made by applicants claiming ex-gratia that they were kin or family members who have a right to the money.
The National Covid Memorial, an initiative in memory of Indians who died of Covid, has teamed up with lawyers who have volunteered to provide free legal aid to the victims’ families.
The memorial is steered by the Covid Care Network, a voluntary organisation of doctors, health officials and people from many other walks of life.
“This is an effort to stand by the families of those whom we could not provide an honourable exit from this world as they were struck by Covid. The families have to move on. There are children who have to be educated, spouses who need the money to sustain the family. We have a duty to stand by them,” said Abhijit Chowdhury, a doctor who is also the founder member of the National Covid Memorial (NCM) and the Covid Care Network (CCN).
Two helpline numbers have been launched where those seeking legal aid can call. They will be guided about the next course of action based on their requirements.
About 25 lawyers from Kolkata have agreed to volunteer and provide free legal aid to such families. “We are already a team of 25 lawyers who are willing to help. We have plans to set up teams in all districts of Bengal and for that we have approached the bar associations of the districts and the bar association of Calcutta High Court,” said Anirban Das, vice-president of CCN and an advocate at the high court.
Das said an advocate at the Supreme Court was talking to the bar association of the apex court to enlist members for the cause.
Chowdhury said people in many other states were facing immense trouble as the administrations were not very cooperative in helping the claimants. “This is something that cannot be solved by policy or a government. Rather it depends on local officials. An ignorant person will be harassed more,” said Chowdhury, who is also a member of the Bengal government’s Covid task force.
A lawyer said he had come across complaints that touts or officials were asking for a part of the ex-gratia to help applicants get necessary documents.