Employees With Disabilities May Opt to Work From Home In J&K
Employees With Disabilities May Opt to Work From Home In J&K
While the order yet again skipped mentioning universities, it clearly specified that there would be no in-person teaching in the educational institutions.
Jammu : J&K government, after offering exemption to pregnant women employees from physical attendance, on Sunday provided its employees with disabilities the option to “work from home.”
Though it refrained from mentioning “staggered timing” or “schedule”, yet it ordered that all the offices would regulate the attendance to maintain social distancing norms.
Besides these directives by and large the government, however, chose not to tinker with the rest of weekly guidelines, issued by the State Executive Committee of the J&K Department of Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation & Reconstruction, earlier on January 14 and January 20.
Hence, complete weekend restrictions on “non-essential movement in the entire Union Territory of J&K from every Friday 2.00 pm to Monday 6.00 am" and night curfew will continue to be in force.
While the order yet again skipped mentioning universities, it clearly specified that there would be no in-person teaching in the educational institutions. Jammu University, earlier in the day, already notified that it would resume functioning from tomorrow.
“ All the offices shall regulate the attendance of its employees in such a manner so as to ensure that appropriate social distancing norms are maintained. Employees with disabilities shall also be given the option to work from home,” ordered the Chief Secretary, who is also the chairman of the State Executive Committee of the J&K Department of Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation & Reconstruction (DMRRR).
Today’s guidelines were issued after a detailed review of the current COVID-19 situation in the Union Territory in the SEC meeting held on January 21, 2022.
SEC reiterated that all colleges, schools, Polytechnics, ITIs, Coaching Centres for Civil Services, Engineering, NEET etc would adopt online medium of teaching and there would be no in-person teaching.
“ Night curfew shall continue to remain in force in all districts from 9 pm to 6 am with complete restriction on non-essential movement. Pregnant women employees will be exempted from physical attendance. They shall be allowed to work from home,” it reiterated.
Issuing guidelines for the Deputy Commissioners vis-a-vis Standard Operating Procedure to be followed in the defined micro containment zones, SEC stated, “ All District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs) and the Health & Medical Education Department must ensure that minimum 15 contacts of the COVID-19 positive person are tracked in order to arrest transmission within the community.”
“ District Magistrates shall take all necessary measures for enforcement of testing protocols,” it ordered.
The Directorate of Health and Medical Education was also asked to ensure that elderly people and people with co-morbidities were encouraged to come forward for testing. With regard to public gatherings, it stated that a maximum number of people permitted to attend any indoor or outdoor gathering would be strictly restricted to 25.
" Banquet halls in all the districts of J&K are permitted to allow gathering up to 25 vaccinated persons (with verifiable RT-PCR or RAT not older than 72 hours) or 25 percent of the authorised capacity (whichever is less), preferably in open spaces. Cinema halls, theatres, multiplexes, restaurants, clubs, gymnasiums and swimming pools are permitted to function at 25 percent of the authorised capacity with due precautions such as CAB and adherence to SOP,” SEC ordered.
Regarding asymptomatic incoming passengers by air, rail or road to the Union Territory of J&K, SEC reiterated that they would not be required to undergo RT-PCR or Rapid Antigen COVID-19 Test on arrival if they were carrying a valid and verifiable final certificate report of COVID-19 vaccination or “ if they were carrying a valid and verifiable RT-PCR COVID19 negative report taken within 72 hours of arrival time.”
RT-PCR or Rapid Antigen Covid-19 tests, will, however, be conducted on symptomatic incoming passengers to J&K.
