Gujarat govt to pay Rs 50,000 to kin of COVID-19 victims

Gujarat Health Minister Rishikesh Patel on Tuesday told the state Assembly here that committees will be formed at the district level to pay compensation of Rs 50,000 to the next of kin of those who died due to COVID-19.

The opposition Congress had raised the issue of deaths caused by the pandemic in the state, after which the minister came out with the statement.

The Congress had claimed that over three lakh people died due to the pandemic in Gujarat, while the official figure, given by Patel, is 10,082. ''As per a letter of the central home ministry, the state government has decided to give Rs 50,000 as financial assistance to the relatives of those who died due to COVID-19. ''The state government will give this compensation as per the guidelines of the centre. Committees will be formed at the district level to distribute the compensation,'' the health minister told the House.

The death rate due to COVID-19 in India was lower in comparison to other countries, while in Gujarat it was lower in comparison to other states due to effective management of the pandemic, Patel said.

Congress members rushed into the well of the house on the issue of the BJP government's handling of the pandemic, and were suspended for a brief period.

The opposition party earlier in the day released a press note saying that in reply to questions asked by its members in the Assembly, the state government stated that only 3,864 people have died due to the pandemic in Gujarat. But the health minister, in a statement, said Congress members had not asked for information about the deaths in municipal corporation areas. ''The death toll due to coronavirus stands at 10,082 in the state,'' he said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)