Kins of election officers who die on duty due to Covid in MP reach HC

Bhopal, Oct 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) Around six months are over since the by-poll in Damoh Assembly constituency were conducted, but trouble of the relatives of government employees, who died on duty due to Covid-19 is yet to come to an end.

On Friday, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed before Madhya High Court alleging that over 100 government employees serving in elections duty were died due to Covid infection but they have not received any kind of financial aid from the government.

The petition was filed on behalf of Jaya Thakur and the families of government employees, claiming that about 100 on duty government employees died of Covid, of which 66 were teachers.

The petitioners alleged that the state government did not provide them financial assistance despite their beloved died due to Covid during the election duty and have sought the Court's intervention in the matter.

The Court accepted the plea and scheduled the hearing on November 18.

"All the facts mentioned in PIL are based on the reports by the district education and health departments. Despite the fact that around 100 government employees died of Covid during the election duty, their families were not compensated. That's why we all have appealed to the High Court to intervene to the matter," said Dr Jaya Thakur, one of the petitioner in the case.

The by-poll in Damoh Assembly constituency was held in April this year when the second wave of Covid pandemic was at its peak.

The by-election was conducted because the then Damoh MLA (Congress) Rahul Lodhi had resigned from his post to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

However, the Congress had won by-elections by a margin of 14,537 votes against the BJP candidate.

The controversy in the matter was first erupted in May after Damoh District administration had received 24 applications demanding compensation, claiming their beloved died of Covid during the election duty.

Source: IANS