Rahul Gandhi targeted the Centre over compensation for Covid deaths
The Centre should provide the correct number of Covid deaths and Rs 4 lakh compensation should be given to families who have lost a member to the virus, underscored Rahul Gandhi spotlighting the plight of Covid-hit famillies.
On Monday, the Supreme Court had asked the Centre to find out from the states on the progress made on disbursal of compensation of Rs 50,000 to the families of COVID-19 victims and pulled up the Gujarat government for issuing a notification, constituting a scrutiny committee contrary to its directions.
"The Congress party has two demands - 1. Correct figures of Covid dead should be given. 2. Four lakh compensation should be given to the families who have lost their loved ones to Covid. If you are a government, you will have to remove the suffering of the people. Compensation should be provided," the former Congress president tweeted this afternoon in Hindi, along with a video detailing the issue.
The 51-year-old leader said "4 lakh dena hoga (4 lakh will have to be given)".
Anchoring the 4 minute 30 second video, the Congress leader also targeted the much-talked about "Gujarat model", with families narrating their ordeal.
Rahul Gandhi claimed that the families that the Congress spoke to in Gujarat said that during Covid they found no hospital beds, no oxygen and no ventilators.
"They say that Ahmedabad is a megacity, boasts about the development, being one of the developed cities, but due to lack of hospital here we had to go to Anand," said Quadri family from Ahmedabad.
"If there was a ventilator available, my brother would have been alive," said Patel family from Valsad.
Rahul Gandhi claimed that the government was missing when the families were struggling at the hospitals, adding that they are again missing when the compensation is to be provided.
Under the National Disaster Management Act, the government on March 14, 2020 had notified the commitment to provide Rs 4 lakh compensation to all COVID-19 deaths but later reduced it to Rs 50,000, he said.
"What is the use of Rs 50,000. The school fee is around Rs 30,000," the Quadri family said.
"For the treatment of both my parents I spent around Rs 7 lakh," said Devani family from Valsad.
The Supreme Court had expressed satisfaction with the Centre's Covid compensation plan of 50,000 rupees for each past as well as future deaths. The compensation is to be given by the state governments from their disaster relief funds.
"Congress party will do whatever it takes to help these families to get Rs 4 lakh compensation and we will pressurise the government to get this job done at any cost," Rahul Gandhi signed off the video with this promise.
In September, the Congress said Rs 50,000 promised by the Centre is a "cruel joke" as the crisis in the country is clearly "man-made" and pressed for a fresh survey of deaths in every state.