Delhi HC Issues Notice To Govt On Plea Of Widow Of MCD Worker Seeking Compensation Of ₹1 Crore

The Delhi High Court on Friday has issued notice on the plea moved by the widow of a Municipal Corporation of Delhi worker who died during the COVID-19 pandemic and has sought a direction to the Delhi government to release the ex-gratia compensation of ₹1 crore.

Justice Subramonium Prasad issued a notice to the Delhi government and sought a reply on the petition.

Counsel for MCD submitted that the it has already paid an ex-gratia compensation of ₹10 lakh to the petitioner.

The matter has been listed on January 12, 2024 for further hearing.

This petition has been moved by Kunta Devi (widow of Ramesh) who died as a COVID-19 warrior on October 3, 2020.

The petition filed through advocates Ravi Kant and Ram Kishan states that the deceased was a permanent employee of East Delhi Municipal Corporation, working as a field worker in the Public Health Department of EDMC.

The petition has stated that during the surge of the nation-wide COVID-19 pandemic, the deceased person was deputed as a sanitization worker in anti-larval measures in Covid-19, in the Shahdara North Zone.

Furthermore, it is stated that the deceased had tested positive for the COVID-19 virus during the course of his employment and unfortunately passed away on October 3, 2020, at Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, GT Road, Delhi, leaving behind his wife and children.

The petitioner has relied on the Delhi government’s order dated April 19, 2020, which also announced that any staff who was deployed for COVID-19 duties by the government of NCT of Delhi, if they expire by contracting disease during discharge of his/her duty, his/her family shall be paid an ex-gratia amount of Rs 1 crore.
The plea submitted that, the petitioner, being a legal heir (wife) of the frontline worker deployed as a sanitation worker, has not been given the amount of ex-gratia as being promised by the government of the NCT of Delhi till date.
It added that the petitioner made several written requests or reminders to East Delhi Municipal Corporation to proceed with the case of petitioner for further compensation or ex-gratia.