Teacher on poll duty dies of Covid, days before her wedding

The deceased teacher, Swati Gupta, reportedly contracted the infection while on election duty for the panchayat polls. 

Swati Gupta, a resident of Mungra Badshahpur in Jaunpur district, was posted in Bulandshahr. Her wedding was scheduled for April 30. 

She was undergoing training for the panchayat polls in Bulandshahr and reportedly contracted the infection during the training. 

It is learnt that Swati Gupta had even sent an application to the district election officer, requesting to be excused from election duty. 

A day before the April 15 polls, her health deteriorated and she was taken to a hospital in Meerut for treatment. 

Her mother and brother also reached Meerut to look after her. However, her condition worsened and on April 23, she breathed her last. 

It may be recalled that earlier this week, the teachers' unions in Uttar Pradesh had submitted a list of 577 teachers and support staff, who have reportedly died while on panchayat election duty, to the State Election Commission (SEC). 

Dinesh Chandra Sharma, president of UP Shikshak Mahasangh (UPSM), said they had given names of 577 basic education teachers from 71 districts who died amid the raging Covid-19 pandemic. 

The Supreme Court on Saturday, refused to stay the counting process but directed that there will be a strict curfew in the entire state till Tuesday morning and no victory rallies will be permitted. 

It also asked the State Election Commission to fix the responsibility for observance of Covid-19 protocols at the counting centres on gazetted officers. 

Meanwhile, UPMSS (Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shikshak Sangh) spokesperson R.P. Mishra said the election officials have been informed that the circumstances in which the polling was held and non-compliance of Covid norms led to the infection spreading to many poll staff and also resulted in deaths. 

The union also said the kin of the teachers who succumbed to Covid-19 during poll duty be given a compensation of Rs 50 lakh each.