Employees in the State Secretariat are anxiously waiting for the government to issue orders on rotation of duties allowing them to attend office on alternate days.
They requested the government to permit only 50% employees to be physically present in the office on any given day. The employees made repeated representations to the government for arrangements within the Secretariat premises to vaccinate all employees over 45 years of age in view of the intensification of Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the second phase.
Employees are under constant fear these days as both their demands remained unmet so far. Close to 100 employees, including dozen and half security personnel, tested positive to COVID-19 in the recent days and two employees succumbed while undergoing treatment. According to staff union representatives, dozen employees of the GAD, six from Finance, five from Medical and Health Department were among those affected by the virus while an assistant secretary rank officer of the Finance Department and a record assistant of the Home Department succumbed to the virus in the recent days.
Employees are worried that the space in the new Secretariat building is congested and it is therefore leading to increasing number of positive cases. “COVID-19 positive cases are reported from almost all the floors of the Secretariat and way the virus in spreading through their contacts. The government has not acted on our representation so far,” an employees’ union leader told The Hindu .
Employees’ representatives are lamenting that though the Chief Minister’s Office is not averse to issuing such orders in the interests of the staff, orders are however not forthcoming. “Why should there be hesitation when the Department of Personnel and Training of the Union Government and the Ministry of Home Affairs issued guidelines regarding safety at work places?” another union leader questioned.
They are expressing concern that arrangements for vaccinating the employees have not been made in the Secretariat dispensary in spite of several representations. They are demanding that the government sanction 15 days special casual leave for the COVID-19 positive employees and increase ceiling limit of medical reimbursement to COVID-19 affected employees and their dependants from ₹1 lakh to ₹3 lakh.
