Although work in government offices not engaged in essential services has come to a standstill, their pay and accounts divisions are functioning to ensure that the employees get salaries on time. “The pending salaries of contractual workers are also being cleared by supervisory officers on a priority basis,” said an official in the Income Tax Department. In an addendum to the guidelines for the lockdown, the Home Ministry exempted the Pay & Accounts Offices, apart from the field offices of the Controller-General of Accounts, with a bare minimum staff.
Customs clearance
The Customs clearance at ports, airports, land border, the Goods and Service Tax Network and the Ministry of Corporate Affairs-21 Registry have also been allowed to function with a bare minimum staff, besides the Reserve Bank of India and its regulated financial markets and entities, payment system operators and standalone primary dealers, again with minimum possible workforce.
Among the exempted offices, with limited staff, are of the Resident Commissioner of States, for coordinating COVID-19 related activities and internal kitchen operations; forest office, staff and workers required to operate and maintain zoo, nurseries, wildlife, fire-fighting in forests, watering plantations, patrolling and their necessary transport movement.
Social Welfare dept.
As directed, the Social Welfare Department, with bare minimum staff, required for running homes for children, disabled, senior citizens, destitute women, widows, observation homes and pensions has also been allowed to function.
Veterinary hospitals, pharmacies and pharmaceutical research laboratories, IT vendors for banking operations, banking correspondent and ATM operation and cash management agencies, data and call centres for government activities, movement of essential goods, including petroleum products, food items and medical supplies, have also been exempted.
