Divesting IAS Officers Of COVID-19 Duty, An Official Procedure: Odisha Govt

Bhubaneswar: The state government on Saturday said its decision to divest some IAS officers of COVID-19 responsibilities was an official procedure and did not have any ulterior intention.

Clarifying the government stand, Odisha government’s chief spokesperson Subroto Bagchi said considering the changing scenario of COVID-19 pandemic, it was necessary to reinstate the bureaucrats in their respective departments. Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy has also made it clear that the officers were returned to their respective departments as per the demand of the situations, he added.

“Many officers were reinstated in their respective departments on Friday for smooth functioning of the administration. Besides, the government intends to assign responsibilities to other officers to take up the fight against coronavirus,” Bagchi said.

He appealed to the people not to trust rumour or fake news and have faith in the dedication and sincerity of the government officials engaged in the COVID-19 duties.