Coronavirus: Assam Govt Offices to Have 50 per cent Strength, Rest to Work From Home

Guwahati: The Assam government on Saturday directed its departmental heads to ensure 50 per cent attendance in offices, according to a notification. The divisional commissioner, deputy commissioner, SDO (C)s and head of the departments in the districts and sub-divisions will ensure that 50 per cent employees in the cadre of Grade-ll, lll and lV are required to attend office daily and the remaining staff should be instructed to work from home, according to the notification.

A weekly roster of duty for the employees shall be drafted by the respective head of offices and ask them to attend offices on alternate weeks, it said. Those working from home should be available on phone and electronic means of communication at all times, it said, adding that the period of working from home shall not be treated as leave and they should attend office if called for any exigency or work.

The head of the offices shall assess their own minimum requirement of staff to manage the day to day office work in order to minimise the assembly of people, as per the notification. The directive will not apply to the officers and employees engaged in essential and emergency services and those directly engaged in taking measures to control the spread of COVID-19, it said. The directive will remain in force till March 31.

Another notification issued by the Commissioner and Secretary of Health Department Anurag Goel said that the government has decided to stamp on the left hand of the people who are to be kept in home quarantine with indelible ink for easy identification.

The deputy commissioners, and the principal secretaries of Autonomous District Council are directed to notify officers who are empowered to give the stamping, it said.

It must be ensured that no indiscriminate stamping is done and the officer only after thorough screening shall stamp the person, if found to be absolutely required. The authorised officer shall maintain a list of stamped persons along with the date until which they have to remain in home quarantine and the date to be stamped is 14 days from the date of stamping, the notification said.