Amidst apprehensions of Covid-19 third wave driven by Omicron variant of the virus, the Punjab Government has decided to boost its efforts by injecting the element of compulsion into its campaign. In a shot in the arm for its drive, the Government on Wednesday ruled that the employees would get their salaries only if they submit their vaccination certificates.
As per the orders issued by the State Finance Department, all the employees — whether fully vaccinated or have taken a single dose — have to upload their vaccination certificates on the State Government’s job portal; otherwise their salaries would not be released.
However, the Government order does not elaborate on what it intend to do about the employees who are yet to take even a single dose of vaccine.
Following the orders, a wave of resentment is prevailing among the employees for putting a new condition over release of the salary. At the same time, the State Government intends to get all its employees vaccinated by putting such a harsh condition.
The vaccination certificates have to be uploaded on the Punjab Government’s iHRMS website (Integrated Human Resource Management System). The software streamlines salary payment and retirement benefit withdrawals, and the salary is credited automatically only to the account of an employees’ designated bank account, preventing fraud in salary distribution.
The order also assumes significance as it came at a time when the elections are just about months away. Notably, Punjab Chief Electoral Officer Dr S Karuna Raju had also insisted that all the government employees that should be fully vaccinated to avoid any risk of spread during the elections.
“The new order is aimed at checking the CVID spread due to omicron variant, and in the wake of polls. The danger from Omicron variant is looming, and all the government employees have yet not take both doses of vaccine. There are chances of spread as the employees are involved in public dealing and also interact with the officers,” a senior Government official, who did not wish to be named, told The Pioneer.
The official added that the Election Commission had also made it clear that only those employees will be given election duty, who are fully vaccinated - taken both doses. “In such a situation, if there are employees who have not taken both the doses, there could be a shortage of employees for election duty,” added the official.
Earlier also, the former Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan had issued directions to remove all those employees from public dealing work, who are not vaccinated. She had also asked the Deputy Commissioners to furnish the list of such employees. However, the orders failed to provide desired results.
As of now, 2,59,04,479 people in Punjab have been vaccinated, including 1,69,62,706 vaccinated with first dose, and only 89,41,773 having received both the doses.