Gujarat: Crematorium workers declared 'corona warriors'

The Vijay Rupani government in Gujarat on Wednesday declared employees of crematoriums in the state as "corona warriors" and extended benefits including Rs 25 lakh assistance to the families of them in case of death due to Covid-19. However, there was no clarity with regards to number of beneficiaries, eligibility and other criteria like whether people involved in final rites or entire staff will be treated as "corona warriors."

The announcement comes in view of most of the crematoriums across the state reporting a higher number of final rites.

Although the state government has been denying under reporting of coronavirus deaths, the crematoriums have been busy burning dead bodies as per the Covid-19 protocol. There have been widespread reports on pyre furnaces melting and chimneys breaking down due to excessive use.

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"I am not aware of this announcement but it is a welcome move. We have a staff of 25 people that includes clerks and accountants. Last several months have been unprecedented when all ten pyres, including gas and wood furnaces, have been busy round the clock.

The situation has improved a bit in the last couple of weeks but it is still nearly 60 per cent higher than the normal days," said Prashant Kabrawala who manages Surat's Ashvini Kumar Crematorium.

Gujarat on Wednesday reported 11,017 positive cases while 102 deaths in the last 24 hours. The number of active cases in the state stood at 1, 27, 483 cases, out of which, 804 were on ventilators.