Assam secretariat to start work from April 21

Kangkan Kalita | TNN | Updated: Apr 19, 2020, 15:55 IST

A maximum 33 percent of Grade III and Grade IV staff have also been directed to attend their offices at the state secretariat as per requirement on a rotational basis.

A maximum 33 percent of Grade III and Grade IV staff have also been directed to attend their offices at the st...Read More

GUWAHATI: The state government will resume the functioning of all de-partments at the state secretariat from April 21 in order to bring work on track even while the lock-down continues. The secretariat administration department on Saturday issued an order, instructing all officers in the rank of deputy secretary and above to report to work regularly from April 21.
The order stated that upto a maximum 33 percent of Grade III and Grade IV staff have also been directed to attend their offices at the state secretariat as per requirement on a rotational basis.
The decision was taken in compliance with a set of guidelines issued by the Centre after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that restrictions on certain services and activities would be relaxed after April 20. However, there would be a total ban on the entry of non-essential visitors at the secretariat, Janata Bhawan, till the situation becomes normal. "The senior most Secretary/ Head of the administrative department will ensure that officers of the rank of deputy secretary and above shall attend office of the department regularly and other Grade-I and Grade-II officers may attend office as required w.e.f 21.04.2020," read an office memorandum issued by the commissioner and secretary to the secretariat administration department, M Angamuthu, which has the approval of the state chief secretary.
Further, it also been directed to all personal staff attached to the offices of ministers, advisors, senior most secretaries, OSDs (officers on special duty) to attend office regularly from April 21.
The instructions issued on Saturday, however, would not be applicable 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, the office memorandum added.
The secretariat administration department said that wearing masks at work would be compulsory and gathering of five or more people in close proximity would not be allowed. While it promulgated a strict ban on the use of gutkha and tobacco products, spitting in office and outside by employees has also been prohi-bited. "All workplaces shall have ade-quate arrangements for temperature screening and sanitizers. Frequ-ent cleaning of common surfaces and hand washing shall be mandato-ry. Social distancing shall be maintained in the office canteen," read the order.
The secretariat administration department has also written to the Assam State Transport Corporation to keep ready 16 big size buses at designated locations in various arterial routes in Guwahati to ferry the employees to the secretariat and keep three additional buses reserved at the Dispur capital complex here to meet any kind of emergency.