The Andhra Pradesh Revenue Services Association (APRSA) has urged the State government to extend the COVID insurance scheme or give an ex gratia of ₹50 lakh to the families of the deceased revenue employees.
In a memorandum submitted to the Principal Secretary (Revenue) on Tuesday, Boppana Venkateswarlu of the association said revenue employees were attending multifarious jobs day and night during the pandemic leaving their family members. They were coming in direct contact with patients and their family members while admitting them in isolation wards or to educating them on self-quarantine, he said.
Since April many revenue employees contracted COVID-19 and 15 to 20 tahsildars and deputy tahsildars and revenue inspectors succumbed to the virus. Some District Collectors sent reports to the government and the Chief Commissioner of Land Administration (CCLA) for sanction of ex gratia to the bereaved families while other Collectors were not doing so citing absence of such instructions. Hence the government was requested to extend the insurance coverage to revenue employees or give an ex gratia of ₹50 lakh, he said.
He sought a separate ward in government and private hospitals for treating infected employees. Collectors should be instructed to exempt the employees aged above 50 and suffering from prolonged diseases such as diabetes, and those who had undergone major operations from COVID duties in view of their vulnerability, he added.
