18 secretariat staffers found positive

Bhopal: After a respite of two months, there has been a corona explosion in the state secretariat. Eighteen employees were found positive between Wednesday and Thursday.

Of the 18, four were from parliamentary works, two from the school education department, nine employees from the finance department, two from the home department and one from the gas relief department. Like Bhopal and other parts of the state, corona cases are shooting up in the secretariat as well. At least 125 employees have been found corona positive since May last year.

The first case was reported in May last year. In June, the number of corona-positive cases rose to 8 while it shot to 22 in July.

Eight employees were found corona positive in August and 20 in September. Over 12 employees tested positive in October and at least 22 employees were found corona-positive in November last year. There was respite from corona in December and January and the cases sharply came down only to shoot up again in March.

Almost all the big departments have witnessed corona positive cases. The departments in which corona positive patients have been found are the commercial taxes department, urban administration department, energy department, CM secretariat, health department, finance department, law department, medical education, home department, transport department, forest department, panchayat department, science and technology department, general administration department, technical education, ayush department, sports, parliamentary work department, planning, economics & statistics, food and civil supplies, cottage and rural industries, higher education department, mining and and horticulture and food processing department, besides staffers in different ministers’ office in the secretariat.

Of the total corona cases in the three Vallabh Bhavan buildings, two employees have lost lives due to corona so far.

Sudhir Nayak, president of the Mantralayin Karmachari Sangh, said, “We have demanded that the employee strength be cut by 50 per cent in the secretariat like earlier, before the situation goes out of hand.”

Officials said the Covid-19 guidelines are followed and precautions are in place. Any further decision would be taken by the government.