CBIC launches financial and medical aid scheme for Covid-affected staff
The CBIC which has lost 110 officials and staff members so far to the pandemic, has launched a scheme to provide financial and medical assistance to its officials and staff members affected by the pandemic. The scheme called ‘Aashvaasan’ also offers essential supplies and transport support to covid-affected staff members. In cases where a member of staff, who was the sole breadwinner of his/her family, died from covid, the covid response team of CBIC has been asked to collect applications from family members for employment on compassionate grounds, according to communication the CBIC issued to its officials on Monday.
The loss of manpower for CBIC comes at a time when the tax authority is managing the huge humanitarian relief pouring into India round the clock. In the last two weeks, it handled supplies brought in by about 70 special flights from around the world in addition to clearing other shipments. The government has instructed customs officials to clear all covid-related supplies on high priority. CBIC said in an earlier communication to officials that it was pained to note that the department has lost the lives of many officers and staff across cadres and ranks, especially during the second wave of the pandemic.
