E-Paper
‘Serious Lapse’ during lockdown leads to action against top officials
The specific reason behind the disciplinary action against the officers was not given but the order did state that they were found guilty of dereliction of duty.
Two senior Delhi government officers were suspended and two others were served show-cause notices for lapses in implementing government orders during the nation-wide 21-day lockdown, a government release said on Sunday.
Additional chief secretary for the transport department Renu Sharma and principal secretary of the finance department Rajeev Verma, also the divisional commissioner, were both suspended, said the home ministry release.
Additional chief secretary for home and land buildings Satya Gopal and SDM of Seelampur Ajay Arora were served show-cause notices.
The release didn’t state the specific reason behind the disciplinary action against the officers but it did state that they were found guilty of dereliction of duty.
“These officers have failed to ensure public health and safety during the lockdown restrictions to combat COVID-19,” the release said.
The development comes amidst an ongoing crisis of migrant workers’ exodus from Delhi to destinations in their home states, chiefly to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar among others in violation of the lockdown orders and Centre’s directives to provide shelter, food and health services to the migrant workforce at the place of their work.
The moving mass of migrants, several authorities feared, could defeat the purpose of the lockdown and trigger community transmission of the disease apart from creation of a humanitarian crisis for authorities to deal with.
“Due to the serious lapse in performance of their duties, the competent authority has initiated disciplinary proceedings against the following officers,” said the release.
The officers have been prima facie found guilty of failing to follow the instructions of the National Executive Committee, which is the topmost authority under the Disaster Management Act, which was invoked for issuing lockdown orders.
“It has been brought to the notice of the competent authority that the officers, who were responsible to ensure strict compliance to the instructions issued by chairperson, National Executive Committee, formed under Disaster Management Act 2005, regarding containment of spread of COVID-19, have prima facie failed to do so,” the order said.
The lockdown was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday in a bid to combat the Coronavirus pandemic.
