Uttar Pradesh: Education department asks Basic Shiksha Adhikaris to verify list of teachers who died on poll duty

LUCKNOW: Despite being eight-month pregnant, Sita Kushwaha (30), a shiksha mitra in an upper primary school in Kushinagar, was deployed in panchayat poll duty on April 29.
A day later, she suffered labour pain and developed complications. Both the mother and the child could not be saved.
Sita was not the only one to lose her life in the line of duty.
According to UP Shikshak Sangh, over 700 primary teachers lost their lives either during training for election duty or at polling or counting centres.
After the teachers’ associations demanded financial assistance for the families of those teachers who died during poll duty, the basic education department has asked Basic Shiksha Adhikaris (BSAs) of all districts to verify the list of such teachers.
An official, who did not wish to be named, said school authorities have been asked to provide full details of teachers whose families are entitled to compensation.
“The government has said it will provide financial assistance to the families of only those teachers who have died during poll duty. Many of them who got infected during training for elections will not be cosidered. In times of crisis, the government should be sensitive to the families of teachers,” said Sanjay Kanaujia, treasurer of UP Junior Shikshak Sangh.
He said after the third phase of panchayat polls, death of 25 teachers was condoled in Rae Bareli and 20 in Lucknow.