Compensation of Rs. 1 crore for polling officers who lost their lives during polling duty in UP.

The State government had previously issued an order stating that compensation due to polling officers who succumbed to COVID during their duty would be given Rs. 30,00,000. However, the Allahabad High Court held that the amount was too meagre and mandated that the compensation amount be increased to Rs.1 crore per family.

Relevant extracts of the said order have been reproduced below-

“However, on the issue of compensation the lawyers have submitted that the amount decided by Government was too meager an amount looking to the threat of pandemic which was well known to the State Government as well as State Election Commission and yet the teachers, investigators and Shiksha Mitras were forced to take risk. It is not a case that somebody volunteered to render his/ her services during election but it was all made obligatory to those assigned with election duty to perform their duties during election even while they showed their reluctance. The amount of the compensation, in our considered opinion, is very less. To compensate the loss of life of the bread earner of the family and that too because of the deliberate act on the part of the State and State Election Commission to force them to perform duties in the absence of RTPCR support, the compensation must be at least to the tune of Rs.1,00,00,000/-. “