Gujarat govt employees to get Rs 25 lakh compensation for COVID-19 deaths

The Gujarat government has decided to provide financial aid of Rs 25 lakh to the next of kin of various categories of people, who are working at the forefront in the battle against COVID-19, in the event of their death owing to the viral infection. These include sanitation and health workers in municipalities and municipal corporations, employees of the revenue department, officials of the food and civil supply department and owners of fair price shops.

Secretary to the Chief Minister, Ashwani Kumar declared this while interacting with mediapersons in Gandhinagar on Sunday regarding decisions taken by the state government in its fight against COVID-19. Kumar said that Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has taken this decision while expressing his sentiments for these categories of people.

While sanitation and health workers of municipalities and municipal corporations are directly involved in the battle against COVID-19, officials of the revenue and the food and civil supply departments are involved in making various essential items and services available `in times of the national lockdown. Fair price shop owners are also engaged in distributing ration items to the needy in the state. Kumar said that a similar announcement was made by the state government for the police personnel who are deployed on the field.

In another decision, Kumar said, the state government has decided to let cotton ginning and oil mills remain operational, to ensure that there is no shortage of edible oil during and after the lockdown period. Kumar added that movement of the people involved in the production process of edible oil will be allowed, and that necessary instructions related to the adoption of social distancing, sanitisation and hygiene have been given.

Further, CM Rupani has allotted 20,000 more N-95 masks free of cost for private doctors in the cities of Vadodara, Rajkot and Surat. Out of these, Rajkot and Surat will get 7,500 masks each and Vadodara will get 5,000 masks for its private doctors. Prior to this, the state government had allotted 25,000 N-95 masks to the Indian Medical Association.

While sanitation and health workers of municipalities and municipal corporations are directly involved in the battle against COVID-19, officials of the revenue and the food and civil supply departments are involved in making various essential items and services available `in times of the national lockdown. Fair price shop owners are also engaged in distributing ration items to the needy in the state. Kumar said that a similar announcement was made by the state government for the police personnel who are deployed on the field.

In another decision, Kumar said, the state government has decided to let cotton ginning and oil mills remain operational, to ensure that there is no shortage of edible oil during and after the lockdown period. Kumar added that movement of the people involved in the production process of edible oil will be allowed, and that necessary instructions related to the adoption of social distancing, sanitisation and hygiene have been given.

Further, CM Rupani has allotted 20,000 more N-95 masks free of cost for private doctors in the cities of Vadodara, Rajkot and Surat. Out of these, Rajkot and Surat will get 7,500 masks each and Vadodara will get 5,000 masks for its private doctors. Prior to this, the state government had allotted 25,000 N-95 masks to the Indian Medical Association.