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Lost job during Covid-19? Govt announces 3-month salary for such ESIC employees
The Centre will also provide lifelong financial help to families of ECSI members who died due to Covid-19, Union minister for labour and employment Bhupender Yadav said.
In a major policy decision, the Narendra Modi government has announced that it will pay three-month salary to Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) members who lost their jobs during the Covid-19 pandemic, news agency ANI reported. The announcement was made by Union minister for labour and employment Bhupender Yadav on Friday.
The ministry will also provide lifelong financial help to families of ESIC members who died due to Covid-19, Yadav said at a media interaction, reported ANI.
On Friday, Union home ministry approved the release of the second instalment of Centre's share of the State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) amounting to ₹7,274.40 crore in advance to 23 states.
After the release of the latest tranche, the state governments will have an amount of ₹23,186.40 crore in their respective disaster relief funds, including the state's share, to meet the expenses for granting ex-gratia to the next of kin of the deceased due to Covid-19 and for providing relief on other notified calamities, the Union home ministry said.
The central government had on September 25 issued an order revising the items and norms of assistance under the SDRF, making therein a provision for grant of ex-gratia payment to the next of kin of the deceased due to Covid-19.
Earlier last month, the Centre informed the Supreme Court that family members of people who committed suicide within 30 days of being diagnosed with Covid-19 will be entitled to ₹50,000 ex-gratia assistance as per the guidelines issued by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
Deaths occurring within 30 days from the date of testing or from the date of being clinically determined as a Covid case will be treated as ‘deaths due to Covid-19’, even if the death takes place outside the hospital/ in-patient facility, the government clarified.
The apex court had on June 30 directed the NDMA to formulate the guidelines for ex-gratia assistance on account of loss of life to the family members of persons who died due to Covid-19.
