Delhi issues work from home orders for 50% state government staff

The Delhi government has issued an order asking 50 per cent of the state government employees to work-from-home (WFH). The order also asks private establishments to follow staggered office timings to avoid crowding.  The order is issued in the wake of the fresh surge in COVID-19 cases in the city considered as the third wave.

The order applies to Delhi government offices, autonomous bodies, public sector units, corporations and local bodies, associated with non-essential services.

However, the city is seeing a reduction in covid cases. 4906 new Covid-19 cases were recorded on Sunday, the second consecutive day the city logged fewer than 5,000 infections, despite conducting more than 64,000 tests, indicating that the third and the sharpest wave of the disease in the Capital could be trending towards a decline.

The order issued on Saturday, Delhi chief secretary and District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) executive committee chairman Vijay Dev said: "All government offices shall function with officers of the level of grade 1 or equivalent and above to extent of 100 per cent strength. The remaining staff will attend up to 50 per cent as per requirement till December 31 or till further order. Private offices are advised to stagger timings and the presence of staff." The heads of departments will decide about how to implement it according to the requirement of staff at their disposal. 

The proposal was made in line with an order of Union Ministry of Home Affairs on 25 November for considering steps to reduce the number of employees in government offices through a 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

As per the order, 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. Private offices are further advised to follow the practice of work from home as far as possible, it said. In a tweet, Delhi Revenue Minister Kailash Gahlot said, "DDMA has decided to reduce the 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 per cent of the strength shall attend office. Private offices are also advised to stagger timings and the presence of staff." According to the Union Health Ministry and Family Welfare, Delhi has 38,181 active cases of COVID-19.