Stop hiding COVID deaths, Cong. tells govt.

Demands payment of ex gratia for all claims that are above official figures

The Congress party has demanded that the State government pay ex gratia of ₹ 50,000 for all the families of COVID- 19 victims who applied as directed by the Supreme Court.

Hyderabad City Congress Committee (HCCC) Minorities Department chairman Sameer Waliullah reiterated the allegation that the State government was hiding the actual figure of deaths due to COVID-19 so as to avoid paying compensation to the families of the victims. Referring to the data filed by TS government in the Supreme Court, he said that the Covid compensation claims received by the State was almost seven times higher than the official count of death. “As against 3,993 deaths reported by the TS government, it received claims from 28,969 families. There is a huge gap of 24,976 victims. Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao must seek an explanation from the Health Department for this huge contradiction,” he said in a release here on Monday.

Further, Mr. Sameer Waliullah said that of 28,969 claims, the compensation has been paid to 12,148 families. This information was furnished by the State government in the Supreme Court and therefore, this cannot be denied. In this scenario, the State government must furnish the reasons for rejecting the claims of the remaining 16,821 families.Mr. Sameer Waliullah also demanded that the State government update its daily Media Bulletin with the correct figures of death which shows toll as 4,072 (as on 23rd January). “The government has informed the Supreme Court that it received 28,969 claims for compensation for Covid deaths. It had already paid compensation to 12,148 people. Therefore, it should update the overall deaths by matching it at least with the figure of families to whom compensation has been paid,” he demanded.