Karnataka government lost 1,000 employees to Covid-19 since March

Bengaluru: According to informal surveys by the employees’ association, at least 1,000 full-time and contract employees of the Karnataka government have lost their lives to Covid-19. Also, nearly 1 lakh workforce has been infected with the virus since March 2020.

CS Shadakshari, president of the Karnataka State Government Employees’ Association (KSGEA) said, “According to department-wise data collected by our association, 518 full-time employees have died of Covid-19 last year. The total number of employees who have died of Covid-19 is well over 1,000 if we take into account data provided by other associations which have contracted staff as members.”

Other associations consist of contract employees and workers, ASHA workers, and Anganwadi teachers who are not full-time government employees. Therefore, they do not come under KSGEA.

There are 6.5 lakh government employees. The government has offered Rs 30 lakh ex-gratia to those who have lost their family members to Covid and jobs to dependents based on their educational qualification.

Basavaraj Gurikar, Karnataka Primary School Teachers’ Association president said, “About 400 teachers have lost their lives, largely in Kalaburagi and Belagavi divisions. This is because many of them were sent on election duty.”

Some of those who succumbed to Covid were in irrigation, rural development, panchayat, public works, agriculture, revenue, and animal husbandry departments. At least 21 forest department personnel lost their lives to Covid.

Employee Association members stated that relatives of many employees have not got the full benefits from the government yet.