Deaths of teachers due to Covid-19 crossed 800 mark in Uttar Pradesh, according to the teachers’ unions in the state.

The unions had earlier said that as many as 706 teachers died of Covid-19 since April in Uttar Pradesh after they completed the state’s panchayat poll duty and election training sessions.

A revised list of deceased teachers has been prepared by the union which will be sent to the state government, Dinesh Chandra  Sharma president of Uttar Pradeshiya Prathmik Shikshak Sangh said.

The union had earlier sent a list of 706 deceased teachers with their names, addresses and other details to the state government on April 29.

“Reports of 10 to12 teachers dying due to Covid are coming in every day. The number of deaths has crossed 800 mark. We will send the revised list to the government on May 9,” Sharma told EducationWorld.

 The union, which claims to have over five lakh members, said a virtual meeting of the executive committee of the body was conducted on Friday to discuss the condition of thousands of teachers who have tested positive after they were exposed to the virus while attending the panchayat election duties. The problems of family members of the deceased teachers were also discussed at the meeting.

Examining the latest information gathered by the union  it was found the number of deaths has crossed 800, the union head said.

 The union at its meeting on Friday unanimously decided to demand Rs 5 lakh as financial assistance from the Uttar Pradesh Government for the family of each of the deceased teachers.

The four-phase elections for around 850, 000 local body seats in Uttar Pradesh were held between April 25 and 29 while the counting was conducted on May 2.  The election training for teachers began on April 6.

It is a part of the job of school teachers to take part in poll duty. But this time many teachers were reluctant to attend the duties considering the upsurge in the Covid-19 cases in the state.

The state government has denied the allegation of the unions saying that there was no proof that the teachers had contracted the disease when they attended the poll duties, according to government sources.

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