Nagpur: State government offices have sent most of their employees home, with only the top officials employed, including those providing essential services. Even in organizations such as MSEDCL power distributor, Mahagenco power generator, etc., only field staff are on board.
A spokesperson for Mahagenco said department staff such as human resources (HR), accounting, finance, and so on had been sent on leave. “Maintenance is on standby. Staff was asked to stay in their rooms. If any failure happens they will need to hurry to the factory. The engineers and technicians who actually run the plant work at full capacity, however, as any reduction in staff strength here will affect generation. We are taking special care to keep their workplaces hygienic, “he said.
A spokesperson for MSEDCL said people working in departments such as management, accounting, corporate communications, etc. have been sent home. “Only top officers and field staff are in service like junior engineers. We’ve not cut back on their power, “he added.
A spokesperson for MahaMetro said train operations had been suspended and all workers sent home. “Construction work is going on in a few areas, as we have district collector’s permission. We will comply if the authorities order us to stop work there too, “he added.
Meanwhile, municipal commissioner Tukaram Mundhe issued a directive requiring departments that do not provide essential services to Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) to operate at 25% capacity. Those delivering critical services must, however, operate to the full.
Banks have registered fewer clients than normal. Gopal Katwe, manager of the Gopal Nagar branch of Bank of Baroda, said the office was operating with 50% of employees. “There was quite a small number of customers on Monday,” he said.
The manager of the Shraddhanandpeth branch of Punjab National Bank said the office operated at 100% capacity as no orders were received from headquarters to reduce staff size. He also argued that it was business as usual.
A number of Central Government offices also prohibited outsiders from accessing their premises. That include income tax, GST, the office of Accountant General. Thermal scanner at the entrance was held at the PSU coal mining firm Western Coalfields Ltd (WCL).
Cantonment areas, like Kamptee, have restricted staff movement with even moving posts delayed by one month as part of Covid-19 preventive measures, sources said.
Sources added that training workers were required to remain in Kamptee’s centers. And families were required to stay within the boundaries of the cantonment. Meanwhile, civilians staying in the area of the cantonment said that even access to the thoroughfares was limited and outsiders were questioned. Defense PRO, Group Captain Basantkumar Pandey, told just blocked the roads that were previously prohibited for outsiders.
At the National Academy of Direct Taxes (NADT), probationary officer training institute that joins the income tax department as Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officers, probationers were given an option to go to their hometown.
The campus has about 100 probationers, but the support workers, including those working in the mess, come from outside. Since they were told to stay indoors even getting food in the academy has become a challenge, a senior officer said here.
The probationers were told to remain indoors and not mingle at the National Academy of Defense Production (NADP), which trains Indian Ordnance Factory Service (IOFS) officers.
