In an indication of the susceptibility of government employees to COVID-19 infection because of the nature of their work, the Karnataka State government Employees Association (KSGEA) has stated that more than 300 government employees have succumbed to the virus during the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.
Though a majority of its employees have been asked to work from home, more than 300 employees, largely primary and secondary school government teachers, lost their lives owing to havoc created by the wide-spread virus, KSGEA president C. S. Shadakshari told The Hindu on Wednesday.
The teaching community has been largely affected by the virus. The pandemic claimed lives of around 250 primary and secondary school teachers. Teachers of Bengaluru and Kalaburagi divisions have been largely affected by the virus and around 150 teachers succumbed to the pandemic in these two divisions, according to sources in the government, he said.
Owing to many teachers’ deaths, Karnataka State Primary School Teachers Association General Secretary Chandrashekar Nugli said the association has urged the government to reserve 10% of beds in government hospitals for providing treatment for teachers. He said that 53 teachers infected with virus had died in Vijayapura district alone.
The government has announced of providing ₹30 lakh ex-gratia to families of all Department employees who died owing to the pandemic while on COVID-19 duty, such as working for prevention and treatment of the virus.
Meanwhile, KSGEA urged the government to vaccinate all the government employees to ensure delivery of services to the public.
Mr. Shadakshari said a petition has been submitted to Chief Secretary P. Ravi Kumar seeking further reduction in the number of staff in Departments such as Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Urban Development, Food and Civil Supplies, Energy, DPAR, Finance, Animal Husbandry, Agriculture, Horticulture, Labour, Commerce and Industries, which are currently operating with 50% staff in offices.
