Lucknow, May 25 (IANS): Uttar Pradesh Basic Education Minister Satish Dwivedi has now announced that dependents of those teachers who died of Covid-19 during poll duty, will be accommodated as teachers in government primary schools, if they have the requisite degree.

However, those dependents who are not TET qualified but are eligible for class three posts will be accommodated even if there is no such post vacant.

Earlier, qualified dependents were retained as class four employees if they did not have TET qualification.

"Those dependents who did not possess TET qualification but were post-graduates, were given jobs as class four employees. Being a teacher, I find it derogatory to see a qualified person working as a peon, attendant and even sweeper," the minister said.

He further explained, "Now, a dependent who is not TET qualified but is eligible for a clerical post, will be given a job in class three category. In case there is no such post vacant, they will be appointed on 'over and above the sanctioned posts'. They will start working with us right away and when a post becomes vacant, their names will be formally entered."

The minister, however, was evasive about the number of teachers' dependents that would be accommodated. It may be recalled that the state government had earlier said that only three teachers had died on poll duty while the teachers' associations put the figure at over 1,600.

In view of growing pressure from teachers' associations for compensation to families of teachers who lost their lives due to Covid during election duty, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had asked the State Election Commission to amend rules to ensure that the kin of a deceased get a job.

Meanwhile, Shiv Shankar Singh, secretary of Rashtriya Shikshak Mahasangh, an RSS-affiliate, said, "A clerical post is better than a class four job. At least, people will see the families of the deceased with respect."