HC seeks reply over non-payment of Rs70L ex-gratia to kin of Covid duty staffer

Jaipur: The Rajasthan High Court has issued notices to senior state authorities over the alleged non-payment of Rs 70 lakh special ex-gratia compensation to the family of a govt employee who died after contracting Covid-19 while on duty.A single bench of Justice Anand Sharma passed the order on March 17, with the copy uploaded Tuesday, during the preliminary hearing of a petition filed by Vijay Kumar Bhartiya, a resident of Housing Board, Tonk, through advocate Laxmikant Sharma. The court directed the Principal Revenue Secretary, Principal Finance Secretary, Tonk collector and Tonk tehsildar to submit their replies within four weeks. It also ordered that a copy of the petition be provided to Additional Advocate General G S Gill. According to the petition, Bhartiya's mother, Geeta Devi, was working as a senior assistant in the Tehsil Office, Tonk, and was deployed at a control room during the Covid-19 pandemic. "She contracted the infection during the course of her duty and later died on Nov 24, 2020, while undergoing treatment at Mahatma Gandhi Hospital, Jaipur," Sharma said. Sharma argued that a Finance Department order dated April 11, 2020 entitles families of state employees who died due to Covid-19 contracted during official duty to Rs 50 lakh as special ex-gratia compensation. An additional Rs 20 lakh is payable under Rule 75(1)(a) of the Rajasthan Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1996, taking the total entitlement to ₹70 lakh. "Despite repeated representations since 2020, the compensation has not been released. A committee constituted under the chairmanship of the sub-divisional officer, Tonk, on May 14, 2025, recommended payment of the ex-gratia amount. Additionally, a letter dated July 1, 2025, also acknowledged the petitioner's eligibility and urged the district administration to release the amount. However, the amount remains unpaid," he said. Aggrieved by the delay, the petitioner approached the high court seeking directions to release the amount along with interest. After hearing the matter, the court issued notices and sought responses within four weeks.