Panchayat elections in Uttar Pradesh are long over and the results have been announced too. But these panchayat elections are still in the news as they are embroiled in a controversy. On the one hand, a state level teachers’ association has asserted that at least 1,621 government teachers died of COVID19 following the poll duty for the panchayat elections. On the other hand, the state government has dismissed such claims as “wrong and baseless”.
Today, the minister of state for basic education, Satish Chandra Dwivedi, issued a press statement saying: “Officials of a few teachers associations are claiming deaths of 1,621 of teachers during panchayat elections in the state. This is completely wrong and baseless. As per the list provided by the district magistrates to the state election commission, only three teachers have died during the poll duty.”
He also informed that the families of three deceased teachers would receive a compensation of Rs 30 lakh each and a government job.
Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh Prathmik Shikshak Sangh, a state level teachers’ association, which has compiled a list of 1,621 dead teachers, plans to step up its protest and is demanding a compensation of Rs 10 million each.
Gaon Connection has been following up this issue for the last few weeks as the state government, state election commission, Allahabad High Court and the teachers’ association have locked horns. Here is a timeline of how the controversy erupted amid the raging second wave of COVID19 and has flared up.
March 26, 2021
The Uttar Pradesh State Election Commission announced a four-phased election. The dates for the panchayat polls were — first phase on April 15, second phase on April 19, third phase on April 26, and fourth phase on April 29. COVID protocols of physical distancing, compulsory face mask, sanitisation, etc had to be followed.
Also, as per the State Election Commission’s guidelines, voters with COVID-19 had to don PPE (personal protection equipment) kits and cast their vote before commencement of voting. It was also mandatory for the Sector Magistrate to wear PPE kits. The entire room had to be sanitised after those who are COVID-19 positive cast their votes.
Also Read: UP Panchayat Elections 2021: Four-phased schedule announced, voting to begin on April 15
April 15-19, 2021
People returned in the thousands from cities to the villages to vote in the first and second phases of the panchayat elections. There was a lot of criticism as polling booths were crowded and there were fears of a surge in corona cases due to the polls.
People under home quarantine or at hospital due to COVID-19 infection were also allowed to vote, provided their family members had informed the returning officer of the district in writing the day before voting.
April 26, 2021
Amid criticism on holding elections while corona cases were rising sharply, the state government issued a press statement and clarified that the “Allahabad High Court’s order compelled the state government to conduct the elections”.
In its press statement, the Uttar Pradesh government stated that it did not want to hold these polls.
“The state government did not want to conduct panchayat elections in 2021, but it was not possible to disobey the orders of the High Court. The Allahabad High Court had asked the Uttar Pradesh government to complete the Direct Elections process of the Panchayats by May 10, 2021. The state Government started the process timely,” the statement read.
The state government further explained that it was impossible not to obey the order issued by the High Court.
April 26, 2021
The same day, in a letter addressed to the State Election Commission, the Uttar Pradeshiya Prathmik Shikshak Sangh appealed to postpone the vote-counting of the panchayat elections.
“Due to large crowds gathering at the polling stations and absence of preventive measures and health facilities, the number of Corona cases has soared. Many teachers who had been assigned the election duty have been infected, many of whom have died as well,” the letter stated.
April 27, 2021
A day later, the Allahabad High Court issued an order noting that people have levelled allegations that during recent phases of panchayat elections, none of the COVID guidelines had been followed. Neither the police, nor the election commission did anything to save the people on the election duty from getting infected by this deadly virus, the order said.
The high court issued notices to the UP State Election Commission, Lucknow, to explain as to why it failed in checking non compliance of the COVID protocols during various phases of the panchayat elections held recently.
This order came after news reports claimed that 135 teachers, shiksha mitras and investigators, who were assigned election duty in the ongoing panchayat elections in Uttar Pradesh, died due to COVID19.
April 28, 2021
As Uttar Pradesh geared up for the last phase of panchayat elections on April 29, the state level body of the Rashtriya Shaikshik Mahasangh — a national union of teachers’ — called for a boycott of the election duty. Its over 1,500 members in Lakhimpur Kheri district also threatened to boycott the vote-counting exercise scheduled for May 2.
The union alleged that at least 32 teachers from Lakhimpur Kheri district alone had died after contracting coronavirus infection during their duty in the panchayat polls. It also alleged that a total of 135 teachers in the state have died of COVID19 as a result of the election duty in the ongoing elections.
April 29, 2021
Dinesh Chandra Sharma, president of the Uttar Pradeshiya Prathmik Shikshak Sangh, a state level teachers’ association, wrote to the Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the state election commission, informing that at least 706 shikshak/karmchari (teachers/workers) had died in the state after allegedly contracting the coronavirus infection during training and panchayat poll duty.
In its letter, the teachers’ association appealed to postpone the fourth phase of panchayat polls and also threatened to boycott the vote-counting scheduled for May 2.
April 30, 2021
The Uttar Pradeshiya Prathmik Shikshak Sangh wrote to the election commissioner of the state election board, saying that the election commission had failed to protect the members of its association who were put on election duty, many of whom got infected and hundreds even died.
Over two million members of the various workers’ associations, including teachers, in Uttar Pradesh decided to boycott the May 2 vote-counting exercise for the recently concluded panchayat elections in the state.
May 1, 2021
The Supreme Court of India (SC) allowed the vote counting exercise of the UP panchayat elections on May 2. The apex court took into note the assurance given by the State Election Commission that sufficient measures will be taken to ensure that the COVID protocols are followed at counting centres.
Also Read: Supreme Court allows May 2 vote-counting of UP Panchayat Elections
May 2, 2021
Vote counting conducted across Uttar Pradesh.
Also Read: UP panchayat elections: Surging crowds at counting centres; COVID protocols missing
May 7, 2021
The state government announced a compensation of Rs 30 lakh (Rs 3 million rupees) to the families of polling officers/workers who passed away due to COVID19.
May 12, 2021
The Allahabad High Court asked the state government and the State Election Commission to pay a compensation of at least Rs 1 crore (10 million rupees).
The court stated that the decision to make these polling officers work during the panchayat elections was a “deliberate act on the part of the State and State Election Commission to force them to perform duties in the absence of RTPCR support”.
May 16, 2021
The Uttar Pradesh Prathmik Shikshak Sangh wrote to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath informing that between April 1 and May 16, at least 1,621 government teachers/workers had allegedly succumbed to the coronavirus following poll duties during the panchayat elections.
The association has demanded a compensation of Rs 1 crore each [Rs 10 million] to the families of the deceased.
Also Read: ‘1,621 teachers died of COVID19 following UP panchayat elections’ poll duty’
May 18, 2021
The Uttar Pradesh Basic Education Department issued a press statement that only three teachers died during the panchayat elections’ poll duty. As per the press note, the duration of election duty is considered only from the time the employee leaves home to reach the election training centre, polling booth or counting centre, and then returns home after the duty.
“Based on these guidelines of the state election commission, the district magistrates have so far sent a list of only three dead teachers… Families of these dead teachers would be compensated,” reads the press note. It also appeals the people not to believe ‘rumours’ or unverified news on the subject matter.
May 19, 2021
Uttar Pradesh’s minister of state for basic education, Satish Chandra Dwivedi, issued a press statement saying only three teachers had died of COVID during poll duty.
Several opposition leaders including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the general secretary of the All India Congress Committee; and Akhilesh Yadav, president of the Samajwadi Party criticise the state government for not taking due note of the teachers deaths.
