PATNA: If the claims of Bihar State Primary Teachers Association are true, 760, teaching and non-teaching staff including librarians have died in various districts of Bihar due to the COVID-19 infection.
Bihar State Primary Teachers Association, through its press release, has claimed that 35 teaching and non-teaching staff have died in Patna district, 26 in Bhojpur, 19 Nalanda in Buxar, 39 in Kaimur, 15 in Rohtas, 22 in Muzaffarpur, 24 in Vaishali, 24 in Sheohar, 12 in East Champaran, 30 in West Champaran and 24 in Sitamarhi.
In the same way, 19 teaching and non-teaching staff in Gaya, 35 in Nawada, 26 in Jehanabad, 22 in Samastipur, 21 in Darbhanga, 22 in Bhagalpur, 36 in Banka, 21 in Munger, 25 in Lakhisarai, and 16 in Khagaria districts, have died due to COVID-19 during the ongoing second wave of the pandemic.
It has also been claimed that 21 teachers and other non-teaching staff had also died in Begusarai, 25 in Jamui, 16 in Sheikhpura, 15 in Madhepura, 18 in Saharsa, 24 in Araria, 26 in Kishanganj, 24 in Purnia, 28 in Katihar, 19 in Gopalganj, 21 in Siwan , 19 in Chhapra and other districts due to Covid-19 infection.
Besides the deaths of 760 teachers, librarians, and other non-teaching staff, hundreds of teachers from all over the state are still in home isolation and admitted to various hospitals after they contracted the infection.
The Bihar State Primary Teachers Association has demanded that the families of all deceased should be given a sum of Rs 400,000 in grant-in-aid for disaster relief and all the facilities available to other government employees soon.
The benefits of insurance coverage of Rs 50,000,00 and vaccinations of family members of 760 teaching and non-teaching staffs, who had lost their lives due to Covid, should also be provided on priority basis.
The association has alleged that no assistance has been given to the dependents of deceased teachers and other non-teaching staff so far by the government.