The Uttar Pradesh Government has increased the ex-gratia payment to the dependents of teachers and Government employees who died of Covid-19 during panchayat elections, to Rs 30 lakh.
The Government has also decided that the dependents of State employees and teachers who tested coronavirus negative after treatment but died of post-Covid-19 complications will also be entitled to the ex gratia payment. These decisions were taken in a cabinet meeting held through circulation here on Monday.
Sources in the government said that as per the cabinet decision, the person who died within 30 days of his/her first day of election duty would be entitled for the ex gratia payment. “The State Election Commission guideline has not taken care of the time taken between a person getting infected of COVID-19 and the death, thus needing a validation from the cabinet,” the official said.
“We believe that the time frame of 30 days will include all the teachers and the government employees who have died of COVID-19 during panchayat elections,” he said. The cabinet specified that for confirmation of COVID-19, a person should have an RT PCR positive report, blood test report or CT scan report.
“In case a person who has tested COVID-19 negative but has died of post-COVID-19 complications should also be treated as COVID-19 positive case,” the official said.
The Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shikshak Sangh has however criticised the government for giving Rs 30 lakh as compensation.
“Our demand is that the government should pay Rs 1 crore as compensation. If a small state like Delhi can give a compensation of Rs 1 crore why not UP?” he asked.
In other decisions, children who have lost both of their parents or earning parents will be given financial assistance of Rs 4,000 per month. Besides, a financial assistance of Rs 1,0,1,000 will be given for the marriage of orphaned girls under the Chief Minister Bal Seva Yojana.
The cabinet has also approved a proposal to give tablets/laptops to children above class 9 or up to 18 years of age who are getting vocational education.
It has also allowed construction of an advanced diabetic centre in Sanjay Gandhi Post-graduate Institute of Medical Sciences.
The cabinet also gave nod to the proposal to construct a shooting range in Meerut and a velodrome in Sports College, Lucknow. Besides, it has reserved a mining area for the construction work of Bundelkhand Expressway.