High Court rules on ‘Chief Minister COVID-19 warrior welfare’ scheme:Calls employee’s service, not COVID report, serves as proof; directs state govt to grant benefits to family

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has delivered a landmark judgment regarding the ‘Chief Minister COVID-19 Warrior Welfare’ scheme, bringing relief to employees and their families who lost loved ones while on duty during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Previously, the state government had made a COVID-19 positive test report mandatory for claiming benefits under the scheme. However, the court has now clarified that service during the pandemic itself serves as proof of eligibility, and a positive report is not essential. Court directs government to provide benefits During a hearing on Monday, the High Court directed the state government to ensure that employees who died while performing duty during the pandemic are granted the benefits entitled to COVID-19 warriors. The government has been given 90 days to implement the order and disburse the dues to the families of eligible employees. The petition was filed by Anju Murti, wife of the deceased employee Rajeev Upadhyay. Upadhyay had died while performing official duties during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The court’s ruling now clears the path for other COVID-19 warriors who were unable to receive benefits due to procedural issues such as the absence of a COVID-positive report. Death during pandemic duty Rajeev Upadhyay was a state government employee posted in the district administration. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020–21, he was assigned duties to assist migrant workers traveling on foot between states, arranging buses and ambulances to ensure their safe transit. At that time, the entire country was facing a critical and alarming situation due to the pandemic, and officials were working under extremely challenging conditions. Upadhyay reportedly worked for long hours under strenuous conditions. And his health deteriorated suddenly during duty, leading to his death. In recognition of employees who died while on duty during the pandemic, the then-Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had announced a scheme to provide Rs 50 lakh in COVID-19 relief to the families of deceased employees, officially recognizing them as COVID-19 warriors. Government initially denied the claim Following Rajeev Upadhyay’s death on 10 June 2020, the then-Collector Bharat Yadav recognized his sacrifice and forwarded his name to the state government as a COVID-19 warrior. However, for reasons not disclosed, the government denied the claim, leaving the family without the entitled benefit. In response, Anju Murti filed a petition in the High Court in 2020, seeking recognition and benefits under the scheme for her late husband. The case has now been heard by Justice Vishal Mishra, who ruled that Rajeev Upadhyay qualifies as a COVID-19 warrior since his death occurred while performing official duty. The court emphasized that service during duty is sufficient proof, and a COVID-positive report should not be required to avail benefits. The government has been instructed to release the amount to the family within 90 days. Relief for other COVID-19 warriors The High Court’s ruling has significant implications for other families of employees who lost their lives during the pandemic while performing duties. Many such cases had faced obstacles due to the stringent requirement of a COVID-positive test report, and the court’s decision now ensures that duty itself is recognized as proof of service, clearing the path for affected families to claim their entitled benefits. About the COVID-19 warrior scheme The Chief Minister COVID-19 Warrior Welfare Scheme was first introduced in April 2020, during the first wave of the pandemic. Initially implemented for two months, it was later extended from 31 May to 30 September 2020. Subsequently, the government further extended the scheme for an additional two months to cover more employees who were performing essential duties during the crisis. The scheme provides financial support to families of government employees who died while performing official duties related to pandemic management. It is part of the state government’s effort to recognize the sacrifices made by frontline workers during one of the most challenging periods in recent history.