The Narendra Modi-led federal government on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that the families of people dying of COVID-19 will be given INR 50,000 by state governments.
The compensation will be paid against not only the deaths that have occurred since the outbreak of the pandemic, but also for any future deaths resulting from the novel coronavirus.
The cash will be disbursed by the state governments and sourced from disaster response funds. It will be channeled through a district disaster management authority, the government said in an affidavit filed before the apex court on Wednesday.
The federal Ministry of Home Affairs tasked the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to frame guidelines for monetary assistance to families who have lost members due to COVID-19.
The matter has been under consultation with stakeholders in the federal government and the upper house of the Parliament - the Rajya Sabha - since July.
The Supreme Court has also suggested that loss of life due to COVID-19 must be compensated with money.