All State government offices, including the Secretariat on the Fort St. George campus, will remain shut on second Saturdays of the month, starting this week, for disinfection and fumigation work, in view of the increasing number of COVID-19 cases reported among employees.
It also means that at least half the State government employees will get an additional day off every month. The Tamil Nadu government last month decided to operate its offices with half the workforce, on a six-day working week, with effect from May 18. However, the additional monthly off is only a temporary arrangement for containing the spread of COVID-19.
“Disinfection was being undertaken even before, but there are increasingly more cases being reported. So we have decided to close offices for disinfection and fumigation works from this weekend,” a senior official told The Hindu.
A G.O. issued in this regard stated that government offices would be closed on second Saturdays “to undertake comprehensive cleaning, sanitising of all government offices”, by adopting guidelines issued by the Centre. Disinfection and fumigation works will go on during the following day, on Sunday, too.
When asked about the demand of employees and representatives from the Tamil Nadu Secretariat Association (TANSA) to go back to the system of allowing only 33% of the workforce, in view of the increasing number of COVID-19 cases on campus, the senior official said that it was still being scrutinised.
“We will see if the two-day cleaning and fumigation work during the second weekend of a month is effective and then decide on whether to go for 33% workforce,” he said.
The officer said that though it had not been officially announced that only 33% of staff were to work, a few employees were still opting to take casual leaves and the government had not strongly reacted to them. “We have not been taking action against them. We will consider the situation and take a decision accordingly,” he said.
Commenting on it, a State government employee said: “In addition to the second weekend, every Sunday could be used for disinfection work”.
