Ministry Scraps Order Threatening To Sack Absentees Amid COVID-19

A controversial order by the food ministry threatening officers and staff with sacking for not showing up at work amid the coronavirus crisis will be withdrawn, Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said today. Many officers had stayed away from work after the government directed ministers to resume work from office last weekend, signaling a gradual return to business to offset the economic impact of the lockdown.

NDTV accessed an office memorandum of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public distribution, an extremely critical ministry in these times, warning officials it labelled as "unwilling" to come to work.

The note asked the officers and staff to inform whether they wanted to continue with the Department of Consumer Affairs by April 20, so that they can be "relieved".

"The undersigned is directed to say that all the officers and officials who are unwilling to continue in this department may intimate the same to establishment section by 20th of April 2020 so that necessary action may be taken for relieving them," - the letter read. 

Ram Vilas Paswan, the minister in charge of the department, said he was not aware of such a notice.

"This matter has just come to my knowledge. It is not correct to relieve people of duty. This is not correct. I have told the Secretary in the ministry to withdraw this order. Everyone has to follow the same guidelines as issued by the central government. We cannot have our own order on employees," Mr Paswan told NDTV.

It is not known yet if similar action was taken by other ministries. 

Officials on the condition of anonymity said the decision to close down government offices came through a written order at the start of the 21-day lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 24.

The reopening of the offices, however, was conveyed on a phone call, said the officials. There was nothing in writing.

The ministry reacted to what it saw as insubordination.

PM Modi today extended the lockdown till May 3, asserting that it would be strict in the first week and the restrictions would be reviewed on April 20 for the least affected parts of the country. While there is nothing official yet, it is believed that government offices may continue to function.

After the PM's meeting with Chief Ministers on Saturday, the government had asked ministers to resume work from office, but with precautions like masks and social distancing. This was seen by many as a signal that the government wants to gradually resume work and bring the economy back on track.