Punjab may follow Centre, run offices with skeletal staff strength

The staff attendance was thin in most government offices on Monday due to the suspension of public transport and lockdown imposed by the authorities in Punjab, Chandigarh and Panchkula (Haryana)

CHANDIGARH: A day after the central government issued fresh orders, the Punjab government may also revise its orders for staff deployment and run its offices with skeletal staff strength to stem the spread of coronavirus.

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“The instructions issued by the Centre for staff deployment in its office are under consideration of the state government,” according to government sources.

The Centre’s department of personnel and training (DoPT) on Sunday announced fresh preventive measures, telling all heads of department (HoDs) to draw up a new roster of staff required to render essential services within each department.

“The office should function with skeletal staff,” read the office memorandum issued in supersession of earlier instructions that allowed 50% of Group B and C employees to work from home.

The Punjab had on Friday issued similar orders to allow half of its Group B, C and D employees to work from home for a month from March 23.

The staff attendance is thin in most government offices due to suspension of public transport and lockdown imposed by the authorities in Punjab, Chandigarh and Panchkula (Haryana).

Punjab Civil Secretary Employees Union president Sukhchain Singh Khehra also urged the state government to allow government employees, except those involved in providing essential services, to work from home till March 31, on the pattern of the Government of India.

“With so many curbs on the movement of vehicles and growing coronavirus concerns, the government should have only skeletal staff in departments dealing with essential services. We have requested the government,” he said.