Six IAS officers assigned to oversee containment of COVID-19 in Bhubaneswar

Sambad English Bureau Published On : Apr 15, 2020 at 10:55 AM

Bhubaneswar: In view of increasing number of COVID-19 positive cases in Bhubaneswar, Odisha government has assigned six top officials to monitor containment and prevention of the deadly disease in areas under Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC).

As per a notification issued by Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy yesterday, ST/SC Development, Minorities & Backward Classes Welfare Department Principal Secretary Ranjan Chopra and Energy Principal Secretary Bishnupada Sethi have been appointed for North Zone in Bhubaneswar, IAS officers KK Lohani (Principal Secretary of Excise) and Saswat Mishra (Commissioner-cum-Secretary of Higher Education) have been assigned to oversee the containment activities in South East Zone in the capital city.

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Similarly, Finance Principal Secretary Ashok K Meeen and SSEPD Commissioner-cum-Secretary Bhaskar Jyoti Sarma have been appointed for South West zone in Bhubaneswar.

The move came after Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik reviwed the status of disease at a high-level meeting held yesterday morning.

“It was desired that senior officers in rank of Additional Chief Secretary/Principal Secretary and Secretaries to the Government will be assigned areas respectively in Bhubaneswar BMC area to be in overall charges of containment and prevention of the disease in Bhubaneswar city, the notification stated.

With the appointment, the senior officers concerned will be in overall charges of overseeing the containment and prevention activities including intensive sampling of primary and secondary contacts, contact tracing, household survey by the surveillance team in the containment zone and supply of essential commodities for the household under containment.

The overall strategy will be guided by the guidelines issued by Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and administered by Health & Family Welfare Department. The officials will coordinate with the BMC or Commissioner of Police and other administrative department working in battle against COVID-19.