The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy government in Andhra Pradesh not to transfer funds from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to personal deposit account from where it is being diverted for other schemes.
The SDRF is a fund from where the ex-gratia compensations are being disbursed to the kin or family members of the persons who have lost their lives to COVID-19 death.
A Supreme Court bench comprising Justices M R Shah and B V Nagarathna also directed the State government to not utilise the fund, if already diverted, for any other purpose than that provided under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
The apex court issued notices to the state government asking to give an explanation by April 28. It asked the Jagan government to restrain from transferring funds from SDRF to personal deposit account. If already transferred, the same shall not be utilised for purposes other than under the provisions of the Disaster Management Act.
The SC bench was perturbed to observe that the State is diverting the disaster response funds in violation of the provisions of the Disaster Management Act and also the Appropriation Act.
Advocate Gaurav Bansal, the petitioner-in-person informed the Bench that even the Ministry of Finance, Government of India has questioned the act of the State Government and directed it to take corrective measures.
On the intervention of the apex court, the National Disaster Management Authority had framed guidelines for disbursing compensation for COVID-19 deaths.
According to the guidelines the kin/family members of the persons who have lost their lives to COVID-19 are to receive Rs 50,000 ex-gratia compensation by the State Governments through the State Disaster Response Fund.
