The Finance Ministry on Monday said contractual, casual or outsourced staff working in Government offices will be treated as ‘on duty’ even if they are at home. There will be no wage cut.

With some States imposing curfew and many States ordering lockdown, many contractual, casual and outsourced staff such as house-keeping staff may be required to stay at home. In normal situations, such absence would have resulted in wage cuts. Now, the Finance Ministry, in an office memorandum, said to avoid any undue hardships under the prevailing extraordinary circumstances, it has been decided that “wherever any such contractual, causal and outsourced staff of Ministries/Departments and other organisations of Government of India, are required to stay at home in view of the lockdown order regarding Covid-19 prevention, as announced by various States and Union territories, they shall be treated as on duty during such period of absence and necessary pay/wages would be paid accordingly.” In another order, the Ministry has allowed States and Union Territories to lift foodgrains for three months on credit from the Food Corporation of India. This has been done to ensure adequate supply of foodgrains to the public and financially assist the State governments.

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