Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh secretariat resumed functioning partially after a complete 21-day lockdown here on Thursday. The decision to this effect was taken by the higher authorities late on Wednesday night. Meanwhile, CM Yogi Adityanath has also started attending office at Lok Bhawan.
Additional Chief Secretary, secretariat administration, Mahesh Chandra Gupta had issued an order stating that officers from the rank of Additional Chief Secretary to Principal Secretary and from Secretary to Joint Secretary, would resume their work from Thursday morning. They have been even allowed to call their respective subordinates to the office if required.
However, the entry of private persons will remain strictly prohibited while department officials may report. The order had reiterated that during this lockdown period no government officers would be allowed to leave Lucknow except on certain conditions.
The order also defined the norms of social distancing and health protocol mandatory to be followed in the secretariat.
The Assembly building also came alive with the Deputy CMs Keshav Maurya and Dr Dinesh Sharma along with others attending the office. Covering their faces with masks and with adequate arrangement of sanitizers, the ministers ensured social distancing is maintained.
“Minimum staff was called by the ministers who along with officers kept sanitizing their hands while disposing of the files. Deputy CM Keshav Maurya held a meeting of his office staff in his chamber. All had re-assembled after May 22 Janata Curfew against the deadly virus,” said a senior official.
Similarly, Dr Dinesh Sharma met the officers of the higher education department and agriculture minister Surya Pratap Shahi reviewed the arrangements for harvesting and procurement of wheat from the farmers which started in 75 districts across the state on Wednesday.
Finance and Medical Education minister Suresh Khanna attended the office in two shifts calling different sets of officers of his two departments to ensure social distancing.
Power minister Srikant Sharma, industry minister Satish Mahana, cane and sugar industry minister Suresh Rana, and animal husbandry minister Chaudhary Lakshmi Narain were also seen in their offices.
Jal Shkati minister Dr Mahendra Singh reviewed the situation of drinking water in the state and issued directives for its consolidation in drought-hit Bundelkhand. He also asked the officials to prepare an action plan on war footing to deal with water shortage during the upcoming spell of summer.