Bhubaneswar: Odisha government Friday said that it has planned to disburse monthly pensions to the families of anganwadi workers and ASHA workers who succumb to COVID 19 infection while working with the government in managing the pandemic.
“The spouse/ next of kin of deceased anganwadi worker who succumbs to COVID 19 in line of duty under active deployment by the state authorities shall continue to receive Rs 7,500 per month till the date he/ she would have attained the age of 60 years had he/ she survived,” said the notification issued by the SRC office Friday.
It also added that the family of deceased ASHA workers will also be entitled for Rs 5,000 per month pension as per the pension plan of the government.
“The spouse/ next of kin of deceased ASHA working under health department who succumbs to COVID 19 in line of duty under active deployment by the state authorities shall continue to receive Rs 5,000 per month till the date he/ she would have attained the age of 60 years head he/ she survived,” the notification said.
The notification said that the government will soon come up with detailed guidelines regarding the new pension system for the frontline workers after consultation with the departments concerned.
“Finance department in consultation with Women and Child Development and Mission Shakti and Health Department will issue detailed guidelines/orders in this regard,” the department said.
This comes after some frontline workers were reported to have succumbed to the viral infection during their work while dealing with the management of COVID 19. Most of them are said to have died in Ganjam district.
The government has roped in the services of anganwadi workers, ASHA workers for better awareness, surveillance and monitoring of the global pandemic across the state.
The government had earlier announced Rs 50 lakh for the families of doctors who die due to the viral infection while performing their duty. The government meanwhile has also announced compensation of Rs 15 lakh for the deceased journalists dying due to the viral diseases.
