17 hours ago
Nashik officials to begin recovery of duplicate Covid ex gratia payments
Nashik: The district administration in Nashik has instructed the civil surgeon and medical officers of Nashik Municipal Corporation and Malegaon Corporation to recover the ex gratia amounts potentially disbursed multiple times to the relatives of people who have died due to Covid.
State govt provided an ex gratia amount of Rs 50,000 to the families of each person who died from Covid infection during the pandemic. However, the state disaster management department reported that the aid was disbursed more than once in certain instances. Consequently, govt initiated recovery actions.
"Govt scanned the applications and the beneficiaries who were given the aid. It found 137 cases in Nashik district where ex gratia was given multiple times, either to the same account or to two different accounts for the same deceased.
State govt has now started the recovery process," said resident deputy district collector Rajendra Wagh.
Govt notified the offices concerned— the civil surgeon handling death applications in Nashik's rural areas, the medical officers of NMC and Malegaon Corporation regarding deaths in their respective jurisdictions — about the recipients.
"The offices will have to conduct the inquiry into the same and verify the multiple payments. If so, then the money has to be recovered. People have also been informed about the same, and they are expected to get in touch with the office concerned and return the money," the officer said.
The officer also warned that if people failed to provide the information and return the money, govt would be compelled to take action against the beneficiaries under the provisions of the Disaster Management Act 2005.
