Skeletal staff keep Secretariat ticking

Personnel asked to take turns

27/03/2020, DENNIS S. JESUDASAN,CHENNAI

A few government employees have been asked to be present at the Secretariat to coordinate work related to COVID-19 response. S. R. RAGHUNATHANS_R_Raghunathan

Amidst the 21-day countrywide lockdown across the country in the fight against COVID-19, skeletal staff in the Secretariat have been keeping the machinery functioning at Fort St. George, the seat of power of the Tamil Nadu government. Special arrangements have been made for their transport.

In line with the detailed notification issued by the State government on Monday evening, the employees in several departments have been instructed to work on rotation in the Secretariat. Besides the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister, a few Ministers visited the Secretariat.

However, a section of the staff opined there was no need for skeletal staff in all departments but only in specific departments. “It will be better if only officials from Revenue and Health departments and the DIPR are allowed to work. Others can be exempted from coming to office because their departments are not related to COVID-19 at all and their coming to office should not make Secretariat a COVID-19 hotspot,” an official contended. While several employees in the Secretariat preferred to commute on their own vehicles, many officials who had been using public transport thanked the government for the special arrangements made for their transport.

Special buses

Two MTC buses have been pressed into service for their benefit from over 10 pick-up points to the Secretariat both in the mornings and evenings. “While one would start at 9 a.m., the next would start 30 minutes later. On our way back, one would start at 6 p.m. and another 30 minutes later," an official said.