Govt restricts staff strength in offices

Govt restricts staff strength in offices

MK.SunilKumar@timesgroup.com

Kochi: 20.06.2020

In a major change in the work schedule of public servants in the state, the government on Thursday issued an order restricting the number of officials who should turn up for duty daily.

While there should be a maximum of 50% staff strength at offices like village offices, the number of staff strength in other offices should be limited to the capacity of the office to accommodate people allowing them to work by following social distancing and other safety measures.

Those employees who don’t turn up should work from home. The head of each office should ask employees to work on a rotation basis, the order stated.

On June 7, the government had issued an order instructing all the public servants to turn up for duty. Now, the change is being made following repeated incidents of government officials contracting the Covid-19 leading to quarantining of others who worked along with them.

“In the existing circumstances, if an employee becomes Covid-19 positive, the entire office will have to be closed down. When a cop at Kalamassery police station was tested Covid-19 positive, the entire personnel had to be quarantined. Now, the station is being manned by cops from other stations,” agriculture minister V S Sunil Kumar said.

Those residing in one district and work in offices in another district should report to offices like collectorate and panchayats in their home districts. Such employees should secure permission of their superiors for the work arrangement.

“This arrangement had been successfully implemented by the departments like health during the first phase of lockdown itself. Now, it is being extended to all other departments,” said Dr K P Aravindan, health expert.

While employees welcome the decision of the government, they also air apprehensions regarding work from home.

“Only a few employees can work from home due to the nature of work done by them. One thing which can be suggested is clearing of backlog. Employees who work from home can take pending files home and clear the backlog,” said K K Sunil Kumar, Ernakulam district secretary, NGO Union.