'Treat PIL As Representation To Provide Compensation For Deaths Due To Lack Of Oxygen': Delhi HC To Centre, AAP Govt

Delhi High Court directed Centre and Delhi Govt to frame guidelines for providing compensation to the families of Covid-19 patients who lost lives due to shortage of oxygen during pandemic. 

Oxygen crisis amid Covid pandemic

Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday said that the courts can not interfere as grant of compensation is a policy decision, but asked the Central government as well as the Aam Aadmi Party led Delhi government to frame guidelines for providing compensation to the families of Covid-19 patients who lost lives due to shortage of oxygen during pandemic. 

A two-judge bench comprising Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh heard the plea filed by lawyer Purav Middha, who sought court to direct the Centre and the city government to frame guidelines for providing monetary compensation to the families of Covid-19 victims who lost lives due to oxygen shortage. 

The plea moved by a lawyer suggested that the compensation should be paid from the National Disaster Response Fund or the PM CARES Fund to provide relief to those families who have no means to sustain themselves as most of them have lost the sole breadwinner to COVID-19.

The petitioner also said that since the number of Covid-19 victims is increasing, the governments must formulate a compensation scheme to aid the survival of such families. He said that the governments are to be held accountable for the loss of lives during the pandemic due to a lack of oxygen and medicines. 

Listening to the arguments, the High Court bench directed the Centre and the Delhi government to treat the plea as a representation and take a decision in accordance with the law, rules, regulations and government policy.

Disposing the plea, the court said that a practicable decision should be taken as early as possible. 

(With agency inputs)