PANAJI
Surviving family members, who have lost near and dear ones due to Covid will be counselled by government experts in the near future Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday.
Speaking at a function organised in Panaji to distribute ex-gratia relief to members of families who have witnessed Covid fatalities, Sawant also said that only two Covid orphans have been reported in the State.
"We have asked Education Department counsellors to get personally in touch with those families where lives have been lost, so that we can provide support to them. Counselling will include education counselling, family counselling, etc. The government will be with them in the future too. This is my responsibility as a CM and as a head of the government," Sawant said at the function where an ex-gratia relief of Rs 2 lakh was provided.
"It is not that providing Rs 2 lakh as compensation ends the responsibility of the government. That is not the case. We are also providing moral support to the family, along with economic support. They need counselling. They need family support. So many children have been orphaned. In Goa, only two Covid orphans have been reported. The Social Welfare department will support them too. When a father or mother is lost, life is difficult, but we will ensure that they can avail of government schemes from the Social Welfare, Women and Child (development) or from other departments," Sawant said, adding that government appointed Swayampurna Mitras had also been directed to reach out to such families in their jurisdiction.
Sawant also said that the difficulty in procurement of death reports was a deterring factor for availing of the ex-gratia relief.
"The (ex-gratia compensation) form requires the submission of a death report. Many persons perhaps have not received a death report, which is why they have delayed in submission of forms. Those eligible persons who have not submitted the death reports -- which can be availed at the district hospitals or the Goa Medical College -- should just attach the death certificates, so that we are able to help them as soon as possible," Sawant said.
