Covid-19 | U.P. govt. wants EC to modify tips, compensate more victims

The Uttar Pradesh authorities on Thursday recommended that the State Election Commission ought to modify its tips in order that more individuals, together with academics, who died due to COVID-19 throughout the panchayat ballot obligation may very well be given compensation.

The suggestion got here amid the calls for of compensation raised by academics’ unions which claimed that 1,621 academics, educators and different departmental personnel who have been on ballot obligation throughout the not too long ago concluded panchayat elections within the State had died due to coronavirus.

The unions have demanded a compensation of ₹1 crore every to the households of the deceased and authorities jobs for the dependents.

However, State Basic Education Minister Satish Dwivedi on Tuesday had rejected the declare and mentioned that in accordance to the established norms, solely three academics had died throughout election obligation.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, in a high-level assembly with senior officers, mentioned normally the federal government acts in instances relating to deaths throughout elections as per the rules of the State Election Commission, however since these tips belong to the time when there was no pandemic, there’s a want to relook into such instances sympathetically.

He requested the officers to get a report from the State Election Commission on this depend and instructed the Chief Secretary and Additional Chief Secretary to put ahead the request of modifying the rules in entrance of the State EC, in accordance to an official spokesman.

Government’s nod

“The State Government is ready to provide all the necessary facilities to its employees, especially at a time when they have done election or any other duty. In order to provide proper support to them and their families, the Election Commission should be consulted and requested to make necessary recommendations,” Mr. Adityanath instructed the officers.

“Every death is tragic and the State Government has full sympathy with each employee and his family. The State Government extends compensation and job to one member of the family of its staff dying during polls duty as per the guidelines of the Election Commission, but since the guidelines are out of date and pertain to the time when there was no coronavirus, a fresh sympathetic consideration is required in this regard,” he mentioned.

President of Uttar Pradesh Primary Teachers’ Association Dinesh Chandra Sharma had written to Mr. Adityanath on May 16 relating to the deaths of academics throughout election obligation.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav had accused the State Government of mendacity concerning the variety of academics who misplaced their lives throughout the election obligation to keep away from giving them compensation.

During the assembly, the Chief Minister instructed that if an individual working in any division underneath the State Government dies due to coronavirus, the division ought to lengthen full sensitivity and sympathy, and no file relating to ex-gratia or some other matter ought to stay pending.

Noting that many younger {couples} have succumbed to the illness and their youngsters are alone, he mentioned an in depth motion plan needs to be ready by the Women and Child Development Department for the upkeep and correct care of such children, the spokesman added.