Coronavirus: Ministers attend office as country awaits PM's lockdown decision

Several Union Ministers and senior officials on Monday started working from offices again even as the country is waiting for the announcement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Covid-19 lockdown during his address to the nation.

Most of the ministers have been working from since Modi announced the 21-day lockdown from March 25. However on Sunday, instructions were given to top officials from the rank of Joint Secretary should attend office along with essential staff.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar, Coal and Parliamentary Affaris Minister Pralhad Joshi, Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Railways and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, Minister of State for Youth Affairs Kiren Rijiju and Culture and Tourism Minister Prahlad Patel were among those who attended office along with along with senior officials.

"I was working most of the time from home during the lockdown. Today I returned to my office at Shastri Bhavan after a week. It feels good to be back. The Modi government is in full action on all fronts now,” Coal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said.

Officers of the level of joint secretary also returned to offices on Monday, as they are entitled to official transport. Staff belonging to Class 2, 3 and 4 are working on a rational basis and one-third of them are working.

The decision to bring Ministers back to office was seen as an attempt by the government to instil confidence of people in testing times.

Officials said the government has become fully functional. Modi will spell out the next course of action during his address to the nation on Tuesday 10 AM where he is expected to announce extension of lockdown for another two weeks with some relaxations.

Sources said the ministers have instructed officials to prepare a roadmap for handling the economic impact of Covid-19 in the sectors handled by them and suggestions to overcome it.