The officers working at the Central Secretariate in Delhi have demanded that the government implement work-from-home as almost 50 officials have died due to COVID-19.
The numbers were reported according to a representation by the officials to the Centre. At least 30 of the officials who had succumbed to the disease were under 40-years, reported The Hindu.
The CSS had tweeted "It is disheartening that GoI [Government of India] has lost 50+ hard-working CSS Officers in the span of just one month….We have requested @DoPTGoI on several occasions vide letters dated 27 & 29 April to implement Work From Home (WFH). In view of the dreadful situations in India and it being the World's worst-hit nation, but due to insensitive behaviour, we are losing the precious jewels of our bureaucracy and hard-working officers every day."
The forum demanded that the government organise vaccine camps for the employees prioritising them as frontline workers. Jitendra Singh, the Minister for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions had tweeted on May 4 that the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) was organising a camp in North Block. However, a CSS official had said that the camp was not enough as the North Block comprised of the offices of ministries of finance, home and personnel and many were afraid to go into the government buildings to get the shots. Instead, the camp should be held at every government building. The official had requested anonymity.
The DoPT had asked all government secretaries to reduce office to 50 per cent capacity on April 19. However, deputy secretaries were asked to report daily. Pregnant women and people living in containment zones are exempted. The order has been extended till May 30.
"In the age of digital India, why cannot government employees work from home? Hundreds of those who were infected were going to the office daily, many have died, leaving behind young children. We are demanding work from home as it will not impact productivity," another CSS official told The Hindu.
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