West Bengal on Wednesday announced State government jobs to dependants of frontline workers dying of COVID-19. The move is intended to boost the morale of the personnel involved in fighting the pandemic, considering that the mortality rate among them is climbing.
“The State government has already implemented a string of measures to stand besides these frontline workers; it is bearing the entire cost of treatment and in the event of the unfortunate demise of the COVID warrior, the family is being assisted by a grant of ₹10 lakh. Now, to save the [dependants] of these warriors from financial distress, [we] have decided to provide them employment,” a notification issued on Wednesday said.
The West Bengal Special Compassionate Appointment [to the dependant of COVID warrior who has died or been permanently incapacitated due to COVID-19] Scheme, 2020 will come into retrospective effect from April 1 and will cover the dependants of those working or associated with the State government, including contractual workers.
Those applying for jobs will be eligible for appointment only in Group C or Group D, subject to vacancy, but the notification also said: “In exceptional circumstances, the department concerned, with the concurrence of the Finance department, may consider appointment in other categories in consideration of higher qualification and eligibility.”
Appointment letter
Eligible candidates will have three months to apply for a job, and if there’s a vacancy, an appointment letter will be issued within 30 working days.
The number of infections has been steadily rising with the State now recording close to 3,000 cases a day. The number crossed the one-lakh mark on Tuesday, when the active cases stood at 25,846.
