Only 20 staff in offices, face mask and shield mandatory: DARPG

The Government has allowed 100 per cent attendance in its offices but the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) under the Ministry of Personnel has come out with more stringent measures restricting the number of officers and staff in a day to 20 and mandating the use of face shields along with face masks.

It has also warned officials and staff that they will face disciplinary action if they do not wear face masks and shields and discard them in normal waste bins instead of biomedical waste baskets.

The government has clarified that these directions are limited to the DARPG only. The circular came against the backdrop of rising number of COVID-19 cases among central government employees.

The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), another department under the Ministry of Personnel that manages the offices under the Centre, had also issued an order to all departments and ministries earlier regarding the functioning of offices but had not mandated the use of face shields or restricted the number of employees working at a time. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare's Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) also did not mention these.

According to the DARPG circular issued on June 5, not more than 20 staff and officers will be attending office in a day and remaining staff would continue to work from home for which roster would be reworked.

As per the plan, Under Secretaries and Deputy Secretaries sharing a cabin will attend office on alternate days as part of ensuring social distancing norms. Sections will not have more than two officials at a time while staggering of office hours will be followed.

"As far as possible, windows may be kept open to ensure proper ventilation in halls," the circular issued last week has said.

Used masks and gloves should be discarded carefully in yellow colour bio-medical waste bins only, it said adding that strict action will be taken against those found throwing them in normal waste bins.

Face to face meetings should be avoided and intercom and video intercoms should be used as far as possible.

"Hand-washing in every half an hour is a must to prevent the spread of infection. Hand sanitising dispensers shall be installed at prominent places in corridors. Frequently touched places such as electric switches, door knobs, elevator buttons, hand rails, wash-room fixtures etc shall be cleaned every hour with sodium hypochlorite," it said.

Officers and staff are also advised to clean their personal equipment like keyboards, phones and AC remote by themselves by using any ethanol based disinfect frequently. Visitors' chairs in officials' cabins should be placed keeping the norms of social distancing, the circular said.