Insurance to Covid warriors: Lokayukta initiates action

BENGALURU: The Karnataka Lokayukta has initiated suo motu proceedings on the alleged delay in payment of insurance amount of Rs 30 lakh each to the legal heirs of  corona warriors who died on duty, based on a media report which highlighted the plight of the families of the deceased. 

In his order passed on Monday, Lokayukta Justice P Vishwanath Shetty directed the Chief Secretary, Additional Chief Secretaries of Health and Family Welfare Department, Medication Education Department, Principal Secretary of Urban Development Department, DG and IGP, Commissioner of Police, and others to provide the details of Covid Warriors — healthcare workers, police personnel,  municipal workers, and ASHA workers — who died of Covid on duty. 

He also sought details regarding the payment of insurance amount and other amounts specified by the state that have already been paid to the family of the deceased, number of applications pending for consideration, number of applications rejected, reasons for rejection, and reasons for the delay in disposal of applications. He sought details of officials responsible for the delay in disbursing compensation too. 

“Since most of these corona warriors are employees of the state, it shouldn’t be difficult to identify their legal heirs,” Justice Shetty said in the order. “Also, authorities of the state government entrusted with the responsibility of settling the benefits are not required to wait till necessary applications are filed by the legal heirs to settle their claims,” the Lokayukta said, while setting a deadline of three weeks to submit the details he sought. The matter has been posted to March 15  for hearing.