Editor's Pick: SC steps in to steer payments to kin of COVID affected families

The Supreme Court on Wednesday decided to take the reins and steer the efforts to pay compensation to families that lost their relatives to COVID-19, after noticing that some states responded to the humanitarian move in a lukewarm fashion raising serious concerns on the responsibilities of a welfare state. A bench of Justices M R Shah and Sanjiv Khanna told the States that many of these families were economically challenged. They may have been further crippled by the fact that COVID-19 took away their sole breadwinner. The court said payment of Rs 50,000 each as ex gratia to the loved ones of every COVID-19 patient who died was a welfare gesture, and so essential to a welfare state. Delays and bureaucratic red-tape to release the money or process the application did not augur well. Moreover, applications for compensation ought not to be rejected merely on technical glitches. The court ordered the States to reach out especially to children orphaned by the pandemic and whose details have been uploaded on the Bal Swaraj portal of the National Commission for Protection of Child Right (NCPCR). The court earlier in the day summoned the Chief Secretaries of Andhra Pradesh and Bihar for non-payment of compensation to the kin of victims. “It is unfortunate that we have to call out State after State like this…Every State believes the people are at its mercy,” it said. The Court said it would intervene in every State where the applications received for compensation were fewer than the deaths registered. The court is also likely to pass an order in the next few days to rope in the legal services authorities at State and district levels to act as ombudsman. With State after State delaying payments to kin of COVID-19 affected families despite their names in public domain, the future of these families remains a matter of serious concern especially as breadwinners have been snatched away leaving many orphaned. The Hindu leads with the story on its front page as it highlights not only the apathy of the state towards its people but also reminds us of the responsibilities of a welfare state. Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Head over to our newsletter subscription page to sign up for Editor's Pick and more. Click hereThe Hindu's Editorials All in the fray: On new contenders in Goa polls Technology tangle: On 5G services and flight disruptions Try out The Hindu's daily news quiz Kathak maestro Pandit Birju Maharaj, who passed away aged 84, was conferred with which civilian award? 1. Padma Bhushan 2. Padma Shri 3. Bharat Ratna 4. Padma Vibhushan To find out the answer and play the full quiz, click here. [logo] Editor's Pick 20 JANUARY 2022 [The Hindu logo] In the Editor's Pick newsletter, The Hindu explains why a story was important enough to be carried on the front page of today's edition of our newspaper. [Arrow]( [Open in browser]( [Mail icon]( [More newsletters]( SC steps in to steer payments to kin of COVID affected families [SC steps in to steer payments to kin of COVID affected families] The Supreme Court on Wednesday decided to take the reins and steer the efforts to [pay compensation to families that lost their relatives to COVID-19]( after noticing that some states responded to the humanitarian move in a lukewarm fashion raising serious concerns on the responsibilities of a welfare state. A bench of Justices M R Shah and Sanjiv Khanna told the States that many of these families were economically challenged. They may have been further crippled by the fact that COVID-19 took away their sole breadwinner. The court said payment of Rs 50,000 each as ex gratia to the loved ones of every COVID-19 patient who died was a welfare gesture, and so essential to a welfare state. Delays and bureaucratic red-tape to release the money or process the application did not augur well. Moreover, applications for compensation ought not to be rejected merely on technical glitches.  The court ordered the States to reach out especially to children orphaned by the pandemic and whose details have been uploaded on the Bal Swaraj portal of the National Commission for Protection of Child Right (NCPCR).  The court earlier in the day summoned the Chief Secretaries of Andhra Pradesh and Bihar for non-payment of compensation to the kin of victims. “It is unfortunate that we have to call out State after State like this…Every State believes the people are at its mercy,” it said.  The Court said it would intervene in every State where the applications received for compensation were fewer than the deaths registered. The court is also likely to pass an order in the next few days to rope in the legal services authorities at State and district levels to act as ombudsman.  With State after State delaying payments to kin of COVID-19 affected families despite their names in public domain, the future of these families remains a matter of serious concern especially as breadwinners have been snatched away leaving many orphaned. The Hindu leads with the story on its front page as it highlights not only the apathy of the state towards its people but also reminds us of the responsibilities of a welfare state. [underlineimg] Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Head over to our newsletter subscription page to sign up for Editor's Pick and more. [Click here]( The Hindu's Editorials [Arrow][All in the fray: On new contenders in Goa polls]( [Arrow][Technology tangle: On 5G services and flight disruptions]( [underlineimg] Try out The Hindu's daily news quiz Kathak maestro Pandit Birju Maharaj, who passed away aged 84, was conferred with which civilian award? 1. Padma Bhushan 2. Padma Shri 3. Bharat Ratna 4. Padma Vibhushan To find out the answer and play the full quiz, [click here](. [underlineimg] Today's Best Reads [[U.S. President Joe Biden says Vladimir Putin will pay ‘dear price’ if Russia invades Ukraine] U.S. President Joe Biden says Vladimir Putin will pay ‘dear price’ if Russia invades Ukraine]( [[States weigh options on IAS cadre rule changes] States weigh options on IAS cadre rule changes]( [[A dangerous precedent] A dangerous precedent]( [[Democratise and empower city governments] Democratise and empower city governments]( Copyright @ 2021, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. If you are facing any trouble in viewing this newsletter, please [try here]( If you do not wish to receive such emails [go here](