Senior Officers at Work, Return of Subordinate Staff But No Trains or Flights Yet: How Govt Plans to Get Country Back on Track

New Delhi: As India looks forward to extend the coronavirus lockdown, the central government employees are gearing up to resume work from Monday (April 13). However, those living in hotspots or containment zones will be asked to remain home.

According to sources, the work scheduled will be rolled out with joint secretaries and other officers of higher ranks rejoining work, followed by one third of the total subordinate staff, who will work on roster basis.

A source said that a list of subordinate staff who have cars and other vehicles have been prepared. "The officials will be asked to tag some junior officers/staff with them for smooth functioning," the source added.

Another list of officials, who live in hotspots or containment zones, have also been prepared. These officers will be asked to remain home.

A source said that nothing major will happen during this period, but "pending processes can be initiated". "Opening up will hardly impact operational departments as they are already on almost full strength ," sources said further.

Sources also said that no train or flight services will reopen now as the government does not want inter-state movement "since it would defeat the purpose of lockdown".

The Centre is likely to categorise the country into red, orange and green zones depending on the number of covid-19 cases during the proposed extended period of lockdown and might allow limited services to function in the safe zones.

Officials privy to the discussions during the recent four-hour-long conference with chief ministers, convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said that schools and colleges would remain shut but some small scale industries and liquor shops may be allowed to function.

There was near unanimity in extending the ongoing 21-day lockdown, which is till April 30, and the central government is likely to categorise the country into three zones — red, orange and green — depending on the number of COVID-19 cases, an official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said.

There will be no activity in the red zones — the districts where sizeable number of cases were detected or areas which were declared hotspots.

In the orange zones — where only a few cases were found in the past with no increase in the number of positive cases — minimum activities like opening of limited public transport, harvesting of farm products will be allowed. Green zones will be in the districts where there is no covid-19 case.