Teachers want insurance for deceased colleagues

The Maharashtra State Primary Teachers Association has recently written to the education officers and chief executive officers of all zilla parishads demanding that the teachers who died due to COVID-19 while on COVID duty be identified and insurance money promised by the state be given to their dependents.

Teachers have been appointed for various COVID-19 related duties such as manning the check posts, COVID-19 quarantine centres, ration shops, home-to-home surveys among others. The association claims that many have contracted the virus while on duty and succumbed.

Vijay Kombe, General Secretary, Maharashtra State Primary Teachers Association, said, “There is hardly any data on the number of teachers who have died till now and the number of teachers who have received the insurance. When proposals are sent, they are returned with queries. All this needs to be taken care of and the money should be transferred to the dependents as soon as possible.”

Education commissioner Vishal Solanki stated, “We have sent their demands to the government for consideration. It is under process at Mantralaya.” However, he did not comment on how many proposals have been sent till now and how many of them have received the money.