23,512 people died due to COVID-19 in UP: Govt in assembly

Lucknow, May 30 (PTI) A total of 23,512 people died due to COVID-19 in the state, the Uttar Pradesh government told the assembly on Monday.

The government's reply came during the Question Hour after Samajwadi Party (SP) member Manoj Paras sought to know from the government the number of casualties during the pandemic.

Earlier in the day, SP member Ravidas Mehrotra had claimed that 18.17 lakh people had died in the state due to the infection.

Refuting this, Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, who also holds the health portfolio, said 23,512 people died in hospitals, home isolation and in quarantine centres since the outbreak of the pandemic till May 12 this year.

He accused the opposition of doing politics over the deaths.

The ruling party members staged a walkout when another SP member Manoj Pandey asked how many ministers, MLAs and former ministers died due to COVID-19.

"The government has given compensation of Rs 50,000 each to those who died due to COVID-19 and within 30 days (after testing positive). For compensation, 41,871 applications were received and payment was made to 39,267 of them. While 23,512 people died as per the health portal, taking note of the compensation paid, the figure is 39,267," Pathak said.

As per the government's guidelines for ex-gratia payment, deaths occurring within 30 days from the date of testing or from the date of being clinically determined as a COVID-19 case shall be treated as "Deaths due to COVID-19", even if the death takes place outside the hospital or in an in-patient facility.