Port Blair, July 23: The Non Gazetted Government Officers’ Association, A & N islands has expressed serious concern over loopholes in strict implementation of preventive measures to contain spread of Covid – 19 in Government Offices and Schools.
The General Secretary of the Association Mr. T S Sreekumar said the lackadaisical attitude by some of the officers in implementation of the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) led to sealing of the Deputy Commissioners Office and all other offices in its premises at Port Blair.
But, still, adequate preventive measures are not ensured in many Govt. institutions. Seating arrangement keeping social distancing, staggering of office hours, cleaning and disinfection as per norms, special care to employees at higher risk, etc, haven’t been maintained resulting possible risk to employees and general public from the pandemic.
Frequent Covid tests are also should be conducted to all Covid Warriors including Govt. employees and workers deputed to Covid-19 duty. He said there is no place for complacency and negligence at this stage as the condition at national level is deteriorating day by day.
Meanwhile the Assistant General Secretary of the Association Mr. R Surendran Pillai,in a letter addressed to the Secretary (Education),demanded implementation of the SOP in its true spirit ,in Schools and other Educational institutions, for the safety of teachers and other staff.
He pointed out that teachers were asked to attend the Schools in full strength from the reopening day on 17th July,2020. But most of the School authorities failed to arrange even basic arrangements like screening with thermal scanners at entrance, proper sanitation of staff rooms and lavatories, seating arrangements keeping social distancing, special arrangements for employees of higher risk, etc.
Mr. Pillai expressed anguish over the direction by some Head of the institutions to teachers residing in containment zones to attend the School, in clear violation of directions of Govt. of India.
He appealed the Secretary to consider the proposal for staggering of work force in Schools ,in a way that not more than 33 % staff will not attend the School in a day ,till improvement in the situation, to minimize any chance of spreading of the pandemic Covid- 19.