COVID-19: Four officials in Delhi suspended for not enforcing lock-down

The Ministry of Home Affairs on Sunday night suspended two top officials and issued a show-cause notice to two others on charges of failing to ensure the COVID-19 lock-down in the national capital effectively, a day after the city witnessed a massive exodus of migrant workers to Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

Sources said the officers faced action for not taking any action to prevent the movement of migrant workers, who crowded the Anand Vihar Bus Terminal and Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border to travel to Bihar and UP, thus making a mockery of the measures imposed to ensure social distancing to check the spread of COVID-19.

An official spokesperson said Additional Chief Secretary (Transport) Renu Sharma and Principal Secretary (Finance) Rajiv Verma were suspended with immediate effect due to "serious lapse" in their duties to enforce the lock-down in the capital.

Additional Chief Secretary (Home and Land Buildings) Satya Gopal has been issued a show-cause notice. The Sub Divisional Magistrate (Seelampur) has also been issued a show-cause notice.

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While the statement did not mention the exact reasons for initiating disciplinary action against the officers, it said these four officers, who were responsible to ensure strict compliance to the instructions regarding containment of the spread of COVID-19, have "prima facie failed" to do so.

"These officers have failed to ensure public health and safety during the lock-down restrictions to combat COVID-19. Due to the serious lapse in performance of their duties, the competent authority has initiated disciplinary proceedings against the officers," the statement said.

The disciplinary action came on a day the MHA issued fresh directions to the states not to allow migrant workers to move from cities to cities and on highways. On Saturday, Delhi had witnessed a massive movement of migrant workers towards borders to leave the city.

As authorities facilitated the travel of migrant workers, Delhi Police Commissioner S N Shrivastava on Sunday morning issued strict instructions to police to not allow any such movement. A senior official said the Commissioner made it clear that "no one should be seen on Delhi roads".