According to the Bihar government, a total of 14 people have died due to heatstroke in the past few days. The Disaster Management Department provided the following details about the heat related deaths which was  a total of fourteen people, including 10 polling officials, three people from Bhojpur district, one from Rohtas district, one from Kaimur district, and one polling personnel along with four other persons from Aurangabad district. Schools and coaching institutes in the state have been shut till June 9. 

प्रेस विज्ञप्ति……..
Bsdma Bihar #BiharDisasterManagementDept pic.twitter.com/HZrC3cCnul

— Disaster Management Dept., Govt of Bihar (@BiharDMD) May 31, 2024

The DMD has stated that it will grant the families of the bereaved some compensation. However, the rising temperatures have cast a shadow over the electoral process as the final phase of the Lok Sabha polls in Bihar ends today on June 1st, the rising temperatures have made a great deal of worry. Bihar has reported high temperatures at 44 degrees celsius average, with Buxar reported about 47 degrees celsius. 

 As per reports, several security personnel who were working at polling stations in Bihar’s Sasaram also fell ill due to extreme temperatures.

ANI reported, Dr Ajeet Kumar, working at Sasaram’s Sadar Hospital saying, 

 “Due to the heatwave and excessive temperatures, the security personnel suffered heat stroke. 1-2 out of them are in a serious condition. There are roughly 6-7 people whom I have recently attended.”

#WATCH | Sasaram, Bihar: Security personnel deployed at a polling station fall ill due to extreme temperatures.

Sadar Hospital’s Dr Ajeet Kumar says, “Due to the heatwave and excessive temperatures, the security personnel suffered heat stroke. 1-2 out of them are in a serious… pic.twitter.com/p3chzCXyIN

— ANI (@ANI) May 31, 2024

A similar situation was witnessed in Uttar Pradesh’s Mirzapur, where 7 home guards deployed for polling have died due to the heat. More than 23 other such personnel are under observation in hospitals.  Mirzapur SP Abhinandan has stated that the families will receive 15 lakhs as compensation.

Sonbhadra too saw the death of two polling officials on election duty, Rae Bareli too had a sub-inspector die due to the heat stroke while guarding EVMs, as per The New Indian Express.  

This is the scene inside the UP’s Mirzapur hospital where 7 homeguards deployed for election duty died due to heat stroke. At least 23 other security personnel are under medical observation with some in serious condition. As per official estimate, apart from seven home guards, 6… pic.twitter.com/MZeb4PDmvP

— Piyush Rai (@Benarasiyaa) May 31, 2024

Other than Bihar and UP, Rajasthan, Odisha, Jharkhand have also reported heat related deaths. The additional chief electoral officer of Bihar Alok Ranjan Ghosh has told the media that the Election Commission has instructed district magistrates to supply ORS sachets to police and polling personnel, as per Hindustan Times. Bihar’s Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has also instructed all district officials to see that  water tankers are deployed and that all government health centres and hospitals have the required facilities to handle the situation without any issues.

But is this enough? Journalists, activists and citizens have questioned  the ECI for scheduling the elections amidst the peak of the summer. 

Will the ECI kindly explain why the elections were so long drawn out or started so late that they are being conducted during this massive heatwave leading to so many deaths? Is the blood of these people not on the hands of the three election commissioners?

— Sushant Singh (@SushantSin) May 31, 2024

On a different note, did we have to wait for deaths of staff on election duty to realize that elections in summer is a bad idea, heat wave or no heat wave? All party consensus needed,but any evidence eci pointed this out to govt? Or did govt try to discuss this with opposition?

— suhas palshikar (@PalshikarSuhas) June 1, 2024

Meanwhile BJP’s MP from Gorakhpur Ravi Kishan has said to the media that the heat wave will go down as Prime Minister Modi is meditating so that Surya (sun) can decrease the heat. 

Shocking and Breaking

BJP MP and Candidate from Gorakhpur Lok Sabha Ravi Kishan says Modi is meditating to control Sun and high temperature

This way heat waves will be stopped and people will stop dying because of it. Looks like entire gang is full of frauds and illiterates. pic.twitter.com/EG98DHvBxD

— Anshuman Sail Nehru (@AnshumanSail) June 1, 2024

As per Sabrang India sources, 3 people belonging to the Kuki tribes from Churchandpur, located in war torn Manipur are among those who have passed away in Uttar Pradesh on election duty during the heatwave. 

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The post Over 20 people working on election duty reportedly dead due to heat stroke, ECI asks polling stations to keep ORS appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Gonda’s Basic Education department in Uttar Pradesh has reportedly instructed mid-day meal (MDM) cooks to prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner for polling officers on February 26, 2022 and February 27, 2022 without any mention of payment.

“On February 26, polling officers will leave for the booths. Cooks need to be appointed from morning till evening on February 26 and 27 so that officers can have their meals,” says a circular sent by the District Basic Education Officer on February 21.

As per the document sent to district officials and school authorities, MDM cooks are to arrange for tea and biscuits for polling officers on arrival and then prepare their dinner on Saturday. Then on Sunday they have to make breakfast lunch and again arrange for tea and biscuits before departure.

The department, in detailing the exact meal for the officers, did not make any mention of payment to the cooks.

Principals of respective schools are instructed to provide utensils, gas cylinders and stoves for these meals. Similarly, the circular also says that polling officers will bear the expenditure of these meals. These exceptions do not gloss over workers’ need for a payment, especially considering UP’s MDM cooks have been demanding pending wages for nine months!

“Officials feel they are paid too less if they are paid in hundreds of rupees. But apparently our monthly salary of ₹ 1,500 is over the top. Even that, they haven’t paid us for the last nine months,” said cook Pavan Kumar Maurya who works at Composite Vidyalaya, Tendu.

As a veteran MDM cook working since 2010, Maurya was well-aware that they would not be paid for their efforts even though cooks run around to get the ingredients that are not readily available in schools.

He condemned the government and administration that did not take any responsibility for MDM workers’ grievances. Officers seldom paid them appropriately for their work in elections. He alleged government officials and other relevant authorities are aware of this but it no mind.

“Officials should acknowledge that cooks are suffering. Some time ago, they promised to increase our salary to ₹2,000. Where is that money now? Be it any government, our situation does not change,” he said.

Maurya is not alone in voicing his grievances. MDM cooks, anganwadi workers and ASHAs everywhere have demanded an increase in payments that are delayed for months together. In Hathras, Rampur and other polling areas of previous phases, anganwadi workers said that they are not paid despite working at the respective polling area.

Issues of unemployment and inflation have already incited youth protests in UP and Bihar that sparked further complications like claims of police brutality. Given India’s economic challenges, it is crucial that the governments at the state and local levels ensure that MDM, ASHA, and other important workers are paid well and any job vacancies are filled at the earliest as their work is invaluable. 

Meanwhile, Gonda cooks prepare for polling day, hoping for payment from polling officers and other authorities.

Related:

Midday Meal cooks struggling to put food on their own tables in UP
UP: Mid-day meal cooks get Rs. 7,500 but three months salary still pending
MDM cooks refute gov’t claims of 8-month wage payment
UP: Mid-day meal cooks not paid wages for eight months of wages
UP: Anganwadi workers, MDM cooks and ASHA workers non paid wages for months!

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