Angul: The Angul district administration has made quarantine mandatory for anyone who returns from Bhubaneswar for it has been marked as the hotspot for coronavirus in Odisha.
However, the district administration, it seems, is being lenient on few babus. As Bhubaneswar is a hotspot for coronavirus, the district administration has disallowed its officers from visiting the capital city. If anyone returns from there, he/she must have to be quarantined for the requisite number of days.
But some officers are frequently visiting Bhubaneswar and returning Angul without being quarantined thereby raising the risk of spreading the virus.
It is alleged that higher-ups hardly keep a tab on the movement of their officers. Taking advantage of the situation, there are a few officers who, without informing their higher authorities, are visiting Bhubaneswar in the evening and coming back the next morning.
This has been going on for some days now but no question has been raised so far. Some seniors are apparently aware of this practice but it is yet to be known as to why they are being so lenient to these officers.
According to sources, a senior officer from the office of project director (PD) of the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), Atulya Kumar Champatiray, recently returned here after spending five to six days in the state capital.
Similarly, an administrative officer of the district headquarters hospital is also alleged to have visited Bhubaneswar. The officer apparently spent two days there and then returned in the vehicle that had taken swab samples to Bhubaneswar.
When asked, Collector Manoj Kumar Mohanty pleaded ignorance, saying he was not aware of the practice of these officers. “I will first find out whether the allegations are true. If it is found to be true, steps would be taken to check the practice,” Mohanty observed.
PNN