'Back To Working In North Block': Nirmala Sitharaman, Other Union Ministers Return To Their Offices

Several Union ministers and senior officers returned to their offices in New Delhi on Monday, a day before the nationwide 21-day lockdown comes to an end.

Most of the ministers and officials have been following the government's work-from-home protocols issued in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar, Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Railways and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, Minister of State for Youth Affairs Kiren Rijiju, Culture and Tourism Minister Prahlad Patel were some of the early office-goers on Monday, along with other senior officials.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman posted a photo wearing a mask on Twitter saying: "Back to working in North Block office with a home-made mask this morning."

Back to working in North Block office with a home-made mask this morning. pic.twitter.com/SlkxZdYuab

— Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) April 13, 2020

Besides the ministers, all officers of the joint-secretary level and above have been asked to be present in the ministries along with one-third of the essential staff from Monday, sources had said.

"Government has desired that all officers who are entitled to official transport facility will come to office from Monday i.e. officers of the level of SAG (joint secretary) or higher," a source had said.

(With PTI inputs)