New Delhi: In view of the “unprecedented rise” in the number of
Covid-19 cases in Delhi, the Union home
ministry on Thursday allowed its officers up to the level of under secretary to work from home and only 50 per cent staff need to attend office.
In an office memorandum, the
home ministry said all officers who attend the office can stagger timings with entry into the office spread between 9 AM to 10 AM with corresponding office exit timings and those living in containment zones be exempted from attending office.
Similar curbs on attendance in view of Covid surge were also ordered by other
Central ministries/departments like information and broadcasting and ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution.
When asked, a senior functionary of the department of personnel and training told TOI that a blanket order restricting attendance in all Central government officers was not being issued, as was the case during the Covid lockdown last year, and it was for the individual ministries/departments to spell out their own norms.
The home ministry said officers of the level of under secretary or equivalent and below be allowed to work from home and their physical attendance in office be restricted to 50 per cent of the actual overall strength.
Rosters for their attendance will be prepared by concerned divisional or wing heads. Individual wing heads can, however, call for more than 50 per cent physical attendance of any of the categories of officials in their wings, if required on administrative grounds.
All officers of the level of Deputy Secretary, equivalent and above are to attend office on a regular basis.
All officials who do not attend office on a particular day are to make themselves available on telephone and other electronics means of communication at all times from their residence and work from home, it was stated.
All officials residing in containment zones shall continue to be exempted from coming to office till the containment zone is denotified, it added.