Only 124 kin approach PMC to complete ex-gratia process

Vikram Kumar, the PMC Commissioner, issued a public notice urging the kin of the deceased Covid-19 victims to complete the documentation to receive an ex-gratia of ₹50,000 from the state govt

SLUG: Aid for Covid-19 victims

As per PMC records, 498 applications were pending, primarily owing to inadequate documentation, with only 124 applicants responding and 374 expressing no interest. (REPRESENTATIVE PIC)

PUNE

After the ex-gratia disbursement work for Covid-19 victims was stalled, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) issued a public notice requesting the kin of covid-19 victims to complete the documentation process.

However, despite the opportunity to complete the process in ten days, only 124 applicants have approached the civic body.

Health officials claim the remaining applications are likely to be duplicates.

Last month, on April 19, Vikram Kumar, the PMC Commissioner, issued a public notice urging the kin of the deceased Covid-19 victims to complete the documentation to receive an ex-gratia of ₹50,000 from the state government.

The period for submission or completion of the documents was ten days.

As per PMC records, 498 applications were pending, primarily owing to inadequate documentation, with only 124 applicants responding and 374 expressing no interest.

“Most of these applicants responded online, and we received their responses at various PMC ward offices. We are scrutinising the documents further before submitting them to the state government for processing. However, the majority of applicants who have not responded are most likely duplicate applications,” said a senior doctor on the condition of anonymity.

The PMC has received approximately 16,000 applications for the ex-gratia process since November 2021.

Four hundred of these were pending and rejected, largely owing to insufficient paperwork.

Among the incomplete records are RAT tests that were not completed, RT-PCR tests that were not uploaded, and death summaries that were not attached, all of which resulted in an unknown cause of death.

According to Dr Bhagwan Pawar, PMC health officer, the relatives of covid-19 victims were given a genuine chance to seek ex-gratia money.

“The notice period to submit the document was given ten days because the majority of the pending applications are from outside the Pune district, such as Gondia, Beed, Nagpur, Satara, Sangli, and so on,” he explained.

Dr Pawar, further, said the team has been making regular calls and sending letters to the relatives as a reminder to complete the process.

“However, it is likely that the pending applications are duplicates and people have already received the payments. Such people should at least come forward to submit the rejections so the pendency will be cleared,” he added.