Delhi govt issues work from home orders for 50% non-essential services employees

The Delhi government on Saturday issued work-from-home orders for 50 per cent of its employees associated with non-essential services and advised private establishments to follow the practice as far as possible amid a surge in Covid-19 cases in the national capital.

Delhi chief secretary and DDMA executive committee chairman Vijay Dev, in an order, said all Delhi government offices, autonomous bodies, public sector undertakings, corporations, local bodies will function with officers of grade-one level or equivalent and above to the extent of 100 per cent.

"The remaining staff will attend up to 50 per cent as per requirement to be assessed by heads of the departments concerned (remaining 50 per cent of the staff will work from home) till December 31, 2020, or till further orders whichever is earlier," stated the DDMA order.

Private offices are advised to stagger the office timings and also presence and quantum of staff with an objective to reduce the number of employees attending office at the same time. They are further advised to follow the practice of work from home as for as possible, it said.

In a tweet, Delhi Revenue minister Kailash Gahlot said, "DDMA has decided to reduce number of government employees attending office at the same time, it has been decided that in respect of officials lower than Grade 1, only 50% of the strength shall attend office. Private offices are also advised to stagger timings & presence of staff."

The proposal from the Delhi government's revenue department to reduce presence of non-essential services staff in offices to 50 per cent was sent to the Lt Governor on Friday who is also chairman of Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) for approval, Gahlot said.

L-G Anil Baijal on Saturday approved the proposal.

"The heads of departments will decide about how to implement it according to requirement of staff at their disposal," Gahlot told PTI.

According to officials, the move, applicable to all Delhi government employees except grade-one and above officers, aims to bring down number of non-essential services staff in the offices in view of Covid-19 pandemic.

CORONAVIRUS SPECIAL COVERAGE ONLY ON DH

The proposal was made in line with an order of Union Ministry of Home Affairs on November 25 for considering steps to reduce the number of employees in government offices through various measure to ensure social distancing, an official said.

The proposal does not cover departments concerned with essential services, including health, police, home guards and civil defence, district administrations, fire, electricity and water, municipal services among others, the officer said.

However, other Delhi government offices, autonomous bodies, public sector units, corporations and local bodies, associated with non-essential services, are covered by the proposal.

The heads of departments and agencies concerned will prepare a schedule for assigning office timings and employees to be required for work purpose, the officer said.