Patna: Kin of Covid casualties can WhatsApp compensation claim

A Patna district administration official said the kin of Covid victims earlier had to submit the necessary documents to the circle office to claim compensation under the CM’s relief fund.

Claiming the compensation for Covid-19 casualties in Patna has become more convenient with the launch of a phone and a WhatsApp number for submission of details by the affected families on Wednesday. All officials have also been instructed to quickly process the payment of ₹400,000 from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to the kin of Covid victims.

Patna DM has instructed all circle officers and block level officials to quickly process the payment of compensation to Covid-19 victims’ families.

“All these details made available on the phone number and shared on WhatsApp will be forwarded to the district unit of the disaster management department which will take further action in connection with the financial support,” Chandrashekhar Singh, DM, Patna, said.

Pramod Kumar, a district administration official, said earlier kin of Covid victims had to submit the necessary documents to the circle office.

“Now they may send the details on what’sApp or the phone number of the control room. All they need to do is to provide details like the date of identification of Covid infection and its report and the date of death and name and address of the Covid victims,” Patna DM said.

In a meeting held virtually on Wednesday, the DM instructed all circle officers and block level officials to quickly process the payment of compensation.

On Wednesday 15 Covid-19 deaths were reported in Patna, while on Tuesday 28 patients were reported to have died. On the front of new infections, the city recorded 316 new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, 31 more than the 285 reported on Tuesday, and 174 less than the 490 new cases identified on Monday.

Overall 99 Covid-19 fatalities were recorded in Bihar on Wednesday to take the death toll to 4,845. However, less than 2% positivity rate and close to 95% recovery rate has given the state some relief. According to the health department, 2,603 people tested positive since the previous day while 1.32 lakh samples were tested during the period. The number of people who have tested positive in the state since the pandemic began, was 6.98 lakh.