COVID-19: 53 education department staffers who took part in poll duty die in Bidar

Bidar: As many as 53 education department staff who took part in election-related duties recently have succumbed to Covid-19 in the district.

A majority of the staff who died of COVID-19 were deployed on by-polls to Basavakalyan assembly seat that was held on April 17, followed by Bidar City Municipality polls on April 27.

“Of 1,500 employees of the department in the district, 200 employees, including DDPI Ganganna Swamy, tested positive for Covid and 53 employees succumbed to Covid in the past two months. We cannot say that all teachers who were deputed for poll work contracted the virus and all the teachers who died due to Covid were on election duty. It is true that most of them were on poll duty,” acting Deputy Director of Public Instructions T R Dodde was quoted speaking to The New Indian Express.

“In Basavakalyan taluk alone, 16 teachers died due to Covid. However, they were not posted on poll duty. Of the 53 employees who died, 46 are teachers and seven are non-teaching staff. Eighteen victims are from Bidar taluk, 16 from Basavakalyan taluk, and seven each from Bhalki and Aurad taluks and five employees of Humnabad taluk,” he added.