BERHAMPUR: Ganjam Collector Vijay Amruta Kulange on Tuesday directed Government officials who are at home following the lockdown to keep their phones switched on round the clock or face punishment.
Except for officials of different departments associated with emergency work and essential services, all other Government employees have been asked to stay at home and directed to attend office only in case of exigencies.
While the officials were asked to keep their mobile phones on round the clock so that they can be contacted during an emergency, the Collector found most of their numbers switched off. Irritated, he directed all sub-collectors, tehsildars, BDOs and CDPOs in the district to send details of employees including Group-D staff to the Collectorate. He also directed them to contact the employees under their jurisdictions over the phone to assure their presence at home.
The Collector’s directive stated that a call will be made to all the employees in a home from the collectorate at any given point of time in a day and if the mobile number is found to be switched off, the employee concerned would be brought to his office and assigned additional duties round-the-clock as punishment.
Meanwhile, police on Tuesday arrested 28 persons of Berhampur for roaming in the town during the shutdown without any legitimate reason. As many as 226 two-wheelers were seized on the day and fine of `1.89 lakh imposed on violators. This apart, fine of `11,000 collected from 11 persons for not wearing masks in public places in the town on the day.
Despite the restrictions, vendors in some areas of Berhampur have been found violating the partial shutdown guidelines by keeping their makeshift shops open beyond 12 pm.
Earlier, the district administration had announced that shops will only remain open from 7 am to 12 pm every day. Police have been patrolling prime locations in the town to ensure that there is no violation. However, in the absence of police in lanes and bylanes, petty shopkeepers and roadside vendors are keeping their shops open till evening.
In another development, essential goods were supplied to villagers of Lalmenta under Chikiti block which was sealed on Monday after 266 laborers returned to the village from Bhubaneswar. Blood samples of some of the returnees who suffered from flu and fever were sent to MKCG MCH for tests on the day. Berhampur SP Pinak Mishra visited the village and took stock of the situation.