AGARTALA, Jan 20 (TIWN): After contractual SSA Teachers had rejected to do election duty asking what actions to be taken if any person dies during election hours, the Election Commission’s Under Secretary Navin Kumar in a letter told SSA Welfare Secretary Bastab Debbarma that any kind of death is subjected to compensate immediately and it’s the duty of the CEO without sending any letter to Centre. In the letter Navin Kumar wrote that this rules are in action since 2014. This letter has become also an informative document for state govt employees of Tripura and what they or their family members should do if during election duty they meet any accident. The letter says, “The Election Commission already in its instruction of 25.04.2017 has been clarified that the payments of ex-gratia compensation to family of polling personnel, any private person like drivers, cleaners etc in deployment of election duty”.

“Further the Commission has issued instructions to CEOs of all States and UTs to settle ex-gratia of all employees since 2014 without referring to the Ministry of Law or EC”, the letter said.

1. An amount of 10 lakhs of the minimum to be paid to the next of the kin of the official of the unfortunate event of death of the officials  while on election duty,

2. If death is unfortunately caused due to any violent acts of extremists or unusual elements like road mishap, bomb blast, arms attacks, etc the amounts of compensation will be raised to rs. 20 lakhs,

3. In case of permanent disability, the compensation is Rs. 5 lakhs and 10 lakhs for extremists attacks.

 Bastab Debbarma  in a letter wrote, "The SSA Teachers of Tripura have been working in state govt schools since 2004, as like as the teachers who appointed by the Directorate of Elementary Education, Govt of Tripura. But it's regret to say that the Govt of Tripura doesn't give us financial benefits like DA, TA, CA, HRA, MA etc. We get only honourium instead of it".

 The SSA teachers further wrote, "In reference to the Directorate of Elementary Education dept vide letter N. F. 1 (91-1 DEE/ ESST/ 2016/ 3445 / dated- 7/1/2017 said that the SSATeachers are not governed by CCS (CCA) rules. It means if any SSA Teacher die during Election duty, we will not get any financial benefits from the state govt. So, kindly release us from the Election duty  and also do not appoint us in the upcoming election-2018".