The High Court of Karnataka on Wednesday ordered issue of notice to the State government, the Election Commission of India, and the State Election Commission (SEC) on a PIL petition seeking compensation to legal heirs of public servants who died of COVID-19 after discharging polling duties during the recent byelections to the Legislative Assembly and the Lok Sabha and the elections to urban local bodies.
A vacation Division Bench, comprising Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice M. Nagaprasanna, passed the order on the petition filed by Ambresh Kencha of Bidar.
The petitioner has cited newspaper reports that around 55 teachers had died of COVID-19 after attending polling duties and several of them have been taking treatment for the infection.
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The petitioner has demanded that ₹1 crore compensation should be paid to the family memebrs of deceased staff and ₹30 lakh if any family members of such staff who have died due to COVID-19.
As the public servants cannot refuse polling duty, it is the duty of the authorities to pay compensation and ensuring proper treatment to them and their family members as infection was a result of their close contact with public during polling duty, the petitioner has contended.