Amaravati : Secretariat staff on edge as 4 succumb to Covid

Amaravati : AP Secretariat employees are expressing concern over increasing corona positive cases and deaths in the Secretariat. So far, four secretariat employees have died of Covid-19, the latest being a section officer Santakumari of panchayat raj department and an employee of home department who succumbed on Monday morning.

Earlier, a section officer of general administration department G Ravikant and assistant secretary of finance department Padma Rao died of Covid. It may be noted that Covid tests were conducted to 200 employees of the AP Secretariat recently when several people were found to be positive. This surge in number of cases has been ringing alarm bells among the employees.

AP Secretariat Employees Association president Venkatrami Reddy, who is in home isolation with Covid symptoms, demanded the government to permit work from home facility for secretariat staff amidst the present Covid pandemic. He told The Hans India that as the e-office facility is available, the government should consider the plea of employees keeping in view their safety.

Meanwhile, minister for panchayat raj Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy observed a two-minute silence in his chamber at the Secretariat on Monday to condole the death of employees. He appealed to employees to take precautionary measures to prevent spread of coronavirus and get vaccinated in the vaccination centres set up for the employees exclusively.

TDP national president and Opposition leader in Assembly N Chandrababu Naidu expressing concern over the death of Secretariat employees with Covid-19, said it reflects the dangerous situation in the state.

He demanded that the government extend assistance to the family members of those deceased, including G Ravikant, Padma Rao and Santakumari.

Naidu urged the government to implement work from home for employees and initiate measures to protect the health of the Secretariat employees.