Central Government Offices Will Function With Skeletal Staff – Earlier Orders Cancelled

Head of Central Government Office will decide who will attend office to carry out essential service

F.No: 11013/9/2014-Estt-(A-III)
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
Department of Personnel and Training

North Block, New Delhi
Dated 22.03.2020

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Sub: Preventive Measure to contain the spread of COVID-19

In supersession of this Department’s OM of even no dated 19.03.2020 and 20.03.2020, the following further instructions are issued:

(i) Heads of Department (HoDs) may draw up a Roster of Staff (all officers and employees, including consultants / contract of outsourced employees), who are required to render essential services within each Department. They alone may be asked to attend office from 23rd March until 31st March 2020. In other words, the office should function with skeletal staff. Officials who are working from home should be available on telephone and electronic means of communication at all times. They should attend Office if called for, in case of exigencies of work.

(ii) Similar instructions should be issued to Attached / Subordinate offices, Autonomous / Statutory Bodies.

(iii) The Department of Financial Services (DFS) and Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) may issue similar instructions regarding Financial Institutions and Public Sector Undertakings.

(iv) These instructions shall not apply to Officers and employees engaged in essential / emergency services and those directly engaged in taking measures to control spread of COVID 19.

2. These instructions shall be applicable with immediate effect.

(Sujata Chaturvedi)

Additional Secretary of Government of India