All central government employees have been asked to attend the office on business days, according to an order from the Ministry of Personnel.
The decision comes amid a significant decline in the number of active COVID-19 cases in the country, including the national capital.
However, all officers and personnel residing in the containment zones will be exempt from assuming their positions until they are discharged from the containment zone, according to the statement.
Until now, officers at the undersecretary level and above were only assisting in office due to coronavirus-induced restrictions imposed in March.
In May, the Center had asked 50 percent of its employees below the Undersecretary level to work from their offices, while implementing different time slots in its effort to further control the spread of the coronavirus.
Officers / staff will need to follow staggered schedules to avoid overcrowding in offices / workplaces as decided by department heads, he said.
“Government officials at all levels must attend their positions every working day without any exemptions to any category of employees,” said the order issued Saturday night to all central government departments.
Biometric assistance will continue to be suspended until further orders, he said.
Officers and staff residing in the containment zone will work from home and will be available by phone and electronic means of communication at all times, he said.
Meetings, to the extent possible, can continue to be conducted with video conferencing and personal meetings with visitors, unless absolutely necessary in the public interest, should be avoided, the order said.
The Ministry of Personnel, in another order, said that “all departmental dining rooms may be opened.”
According to data from the Union Ministry of Health updated on Sunday, the number of active COVID-19 cases remains below 1.5 lakh.
In Delhi, the count of active cases on Saturday dropped to 1,041 from 1,053 the day before.
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