The Punjab and Haryana High Court has taken a tough stand on the government's attitude toward giving ex-gratia amounts to the dependents of those who died due to Corona in Haryana.

The bench, headed by Justice Vinod S Bhardwaj has ordered the government to provide information until the next hearing as to how many families who died due to Corona have been compensated and how many are still waiting to get compensation.

The High Court had also sought this information from the government earlier, but after the government did not provide any information, the court has ordered the Additional Chief Secretary of the Revenue and Disaster Management Department to provide complete information in this regard till the next hearing.

Making a scathing comment on the lax attitude of the government officials at a hearing, the court asked whether the officials wanted the dependents of those who died to keep making rounds of the High Court just for Rs 50,000.

The court ordered the government to file a detailed affidavit and tell the court how many claims and on what basis have been rejected for giving an ex-gratia amount to the dependents of those who died due to Corona in the state. The court should also be told how many claims are pending and what their status is now. Information about those cases should also be given to the court whose claims have been accepted and whose ex-gratia amount has not been given yet.

The High Court gave this order while hearing the petition of Kaithal resident Kamlesh Dhanda. Kamlesh alleged that her husband died of Corona.

He applied several times for financial assistance under the policy made for the dependents of those who died of Corona, but his application was rejected. During the hearing, the court was told that the claim of ex-gratia amount to the dependent has been rejected due to unnecessary reasons and without any solid basis.