The State government is unlikely to regulate or stagger the functioning of the government staff at least for the time being.
Asked whether there was any proposal before the government to allow work from home option for the staff on the lines of the Central government, a senior official replied in the negative. The government, it is learnt, is yet to give serious consideration to the issue as the incidence of COVID-19 was marginal in the State with 14 cases being reported and all these cases were related to “outsiders”, not residents of the State.
The development comes at a time when the Director General of Police had instructed the officials concerned to take steps to ensure alternative working days for the staff on rotation basis so that physical contact among the individuals is minimised to the extent possible. The Department of Personnel and Training of the Central government had instructed the heads of departments of the Central government to ensure that 50% of the Group B and C employees attend office every day and the remaining 50% should be instructed to work from home as part of containing the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
Favouring alternate weeks working for the Group B and C employees, the DoPT said working hours for the staff should also be staggered. The officials who are working from home on a particular day as per the roster drawn up should be available on telephone and electronic means of communication at all times. They should attend office if called for any exigency of work, the DoPT said in its advisory.
