Coronavirus: Centre announced programmes for financial aid to Covid victims' families
Family pension will be given to dependants of those who died due to COVID-19, the government said today. The pension will be under the Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), the government said in a statement.
Children who have lost parents to Covid will also get a monthly stipend after turning 18, and a fund of Rs 10 lakh when they turn 23 from PM-CARES Fund, the Prime Minister's Office said today. The children will be assisted to get an education loan for higher education and PM-CARES will pay the interest on loan.
"These schemes will help mitigate financial difficulties faced by the families," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.
These benefits are in addition to the measures announced under PM-CARES for children.
PM Modi said the government stands in solidarity with the families and efforts are being made to mitigate financial difficulties that they may face.
"...Dependent family members of such persons (who died of Covid) will be entitled to the benefit of pension equivalent to 90 per cent of average daily wage drawn by the worker as per the existing norms. This benefit will be available retrospectively with effect from 24.03.2020 and for all such cases till 24.03.2022," the government said in the statement.
The insurance benefits under the Employees' Deposit Linked Insurance Scheme (EDLI) have been "enhanced and liberalised". The amount of maximum insurance benefit has been increased from Rs 6 lakh to Rs 7 lakh.
"The provision of minimum insurance benefit of Rs 2.5 lakh has been restored and will apply retrospectively from 15th February 2020 for the next three years," the government said.
"To benefit families of contractual/casual workers, the condition of continuous employment in only one establishment has been liberalised, with benefit being made available to families of even those employees who may have changed jobs in the last 12 months preceding his/her death. Detailed guidelines of these schemes are being issued by the Ministry of Labour and Employment," the government said.
Most BJP ruled states have also announced their own schemes for Covid-affected children, which includes stipend till the age of 18 so that their guardians can take care of them. If there are no guardians, the states will take care of them in their childcare centres, sources have said.