Odisha government offices to function with 100 per cent staff  

BHUBANESWAR:  Even as the weekly average of Covid-19 deaths has remained at 62 and the test positivity rate (TPR) in coastal districts is higher than five per cent, the State government has taken a calculated risk by ordering all departments and sub-ordinate offices to function with full strength effectively from July 19.

The decision for full attendance of government employees was taken as most of them are fully vaccinated. “All departments of the State government and sub-ordinate offices shall function with the full strength of employees with effect from July 19, 2021, until further orders. Most of the employees are now fully vaccinated and required to attend office regularly,” said an order of the General Administration department.

In case, an employee has not taken two doses of Covid vaccine for medical or some other compelling reasons, he/she must apply for an exemption to the authority concerned. Their applications will be considered on a case-to-case basis. 

“Employees who are neither vaccinated nor exempted would not be permitted to attend office and their absence will be treated as willful,” the order said. In the face of the second wave, the government had reduced the staff strength in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack to 50 per cent with effect from April 19. 

As the situation aggravated, it further reduced the staff strength in all of its offices to 10 per cent from April 30 to June 1. During the extended lockdown from June 1 to 16, the percentage of attendance was increased to 30 and subsequently to 50.