Non-essential government offices in Madhya Pradesh re-opened today after being closed for over five weeks because of the coronavirus lockdown. Senior officers (above rank of Deputy Secretary and Additional Director) were in attendance and a roster will be maintained to ensure only 30 per cent of staff attend office daily. Social distancing guidelines will be strictly followed at all times.
The state government had shut offices, except for those in essential services, on March 22, ahead of a nationwide lockdown enforced three days later to break the COVID-19 chain of transmission.
“We are gradually controlling the situation with people’s cooperation. Taking all care, we have decided to resume work in all state-level offices, including secretariat and directorates. They will start with 30 per cent staff, so normalcy can return,” Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Thursday.
However, as the day began and staff trickled in, some told NDTV they were concerned about returning to work while the threat of the COVID-19 virus looms large.
“I have come to work after one month. It is a nice feeling but I am very scared. I have family at home… I have a child at home. I will ensure my table is sanitised with Dettol as I have to handle a lot of files,” Urmila Singh, who works in the Health Department as Assistant Grade 1, told NDTV.
Vandana Agarwal, a stenographer at the Directorate of Public Fund Audit, said she had been instructions to only begin working after the Municipal Corporation sanitisied the office.
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