PIL in HC for compensating families of those who died due to oxygen shortage

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court Friday asked the AAP government to treat as a representation a PIL seeking compensation for the families of those patients who died due to shortage of oxygen.

A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jasmeet Singh directed that the representation be decided in accordance with the law, rules, regulations and government policy applicable to the facts of the case.

The court also asked the Delhi government to keep in mind its priorities, availability of funds and such other relevant factors while taking a decision.

It directed that the exercise be completed as expeditiously as possible and practicable and disposed of the plea by a lawyer who had alleged that the tussle between the Centre and Delhi government over the issue of oxygen supply has "turned the national capital into a graveyard, sadly with no place for cremation".

The petitioner, Shekhar Nanavaty, has also contended that when a scheme has been floated by Delhi government for providing compensation to families of front line workers, who died due to COVID, "it is surprising that the respondent government did not initiate any such scheme for the families of people who lost their lives due to shortage of oxygen".

The plea had sought formulation of a scheme to provide appropriate compensation to the families of the patients who died due to shortage of oxygen.

It had also sought "setting up of a commission/ receiver or any other appropriate authority to prepare a list of such patients and to monitor and ensure that the financial assistance/ compensation, as decided by the respondents, are provided to them".