A young IAS officer who was in isolation in Kollam after returning from the United Kingdom earlier this month, jumped his quarantine and headed for Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, a senior Kerala government spokesman said late Thursday evening.
The spokesman described the officer’s conduct as “a serious lapse on part of an IAS officer”. The Kerala government which is in touch with its Uttar Pradesh counterpart will also bring it to the notice of the Union ministry of personnel, he said.
Kollam Sub Collector Anupam Mishra is said to have left on for Kanpur on March 21, a few days before a three-week countrywide lockdown began to check the spread of coronavirus that has affected close to 700 people in the country and claimed almost a dozen lives so far. In Kerala, 126 people have tested positive .
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He had returned from the UK in the first week of this month.
The Kollam administration put his driver, personal security guard and secretary in isolation after his disappearance came to light.
{{/usCountry}}The Kollam administration put his driver, personal security guard and secretary in isolation after his disappearance came to light.
{{/usCountry}}His disappearance has also embarrassed the government which is hard pressed to enforce quarantine norms.
“A captain can’t leave the ship like this. Action would be initiated against the officer,” the spokesman said.
Kollam district collector Abdul Nasser said he has brought the issue in the notice of the government and said he was not informed about Mishra’s trip. His absence came to light when health officials came to his house after two days to check.
A phone call he made was traced to Kanpur, the spokesman said.