Odisha Battles Corona: IAS & IPS Officers Move To Guest Houses After Kids’ Homecoming

Bhubaneswar: With their foreign-returned kids quarantined at home in the wake of the coronavirus crisis, several Odisha-based IAS and IPS officers have shifted to government guest houses to prevent the infection from spreading.

Senior IPS officer and State Transport Commissioner Sanjeeb Panda is one such parent who has set an example for others.

“My daughter is studying in the University of Wisconsin at Madison, US. She came back to Bhubaneswar on Thursday as her university will conduct online classes and examination for the rest of the semester. She has registered online with the Odisha government portal for Covid-19 and is staying in home quarantine in our house,” a Times of India report quoted Panda as saying.

At present, Panda is staying at the IPS Guest House in Bhubaneswar to ensure that his official work is not hampered. His wife Santosh Bala, who is the special secretary in the State Home Department, is currently on leave for 14 days to be with their US-returned daughter.

Senior IAS officer Vishal Dev, who has been assigned to look after the state’s Covid-19 management, shifted to the State Guest House after his daughter studying in the US returned to Bhubaneswar on Friday.

“Since I am working, I am moving out to the State Guest House for 14 days. We got her registration done on the Covid-19 website two days ago,” said Dev, who is also the Officer on Special duty (OSD) to the Chief Secretary.

Meanwhile, some IPS officers have advised their wards to remain in self-quarantine abroad.

Senior IPS officer and Special Director General (Intelligence) Satyajit Mohanty said his son, who is employed with a law firm in London, has been working from home in England. “I have advised him that it is risky to get exposed to crowds,” Mohanty said.

Even Twin City Police Commissioner Sudhansu Sarangi’s son, who is employed with an investment bank in Dubai, has been working from home.

Till now, as many as 3,229 returnees from abroad have registered themselves in the Odisha government’s COVID-19 portal. They have come from across 100 countries and are residents covering all the 30 districts in the state.