People, scribes allowed inside Odisha govt offices as Covid situation improves

With significant development in the COVID-19 situation across Odisha, the state administration on Tuesday decided to allow entry of the general public and accreditated journalists into three major government office buildings from April 18, an official notification said.The three office buildings include Loka Seva Bhawan, the state secretariat.These buildings were closed to the public and journalists from July 2, 2020, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.People will be able to apply for passes to enter the office buildings online, according to the notification issued by the Home department OSD-cum-Special Secretary, PC Pradhan.

With significant development in the COVID-19 situation across Odisha, the state administration on Tuesday decided to allow entry of the general public and accreditated journalists into three major government office buildings from April 18, an official notification said.

The three office buildings include Loka Seva Bhawan, the state secretariat.

These buildings were closed to the public and journalists from July 2, 2020, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

People will be able to apply for passes to enter the office buildings online, according to the notification issued by the Home department OSD-cum-Special Secretary, PC Pradhan. “Keeping in view of the recent pandemic situation and relaxation of Covid related restrictions, the Government has been pleased to inform that the reception counter at the Loka Seva Bhawan, Kharavel Bhawan and Rajiv Bhawan will be made fully functional from April 18, 2022, for allowing general public for their grievances and other official work in the Secretariat,” it said.

The OSD said only accredited journalists will be allowed to enter the Secretariat from the said date. Earlier, all journalists authorised by the state’s Information and Public Relation Department were allowed inside the buildings.

The opposition BJP and Congress members had demanded entry of journalists into the secretariat during the Budget Session of the Assembly. Meanwhile, Odisha on Tuesday registered only six new coronavirus cases and one fresh fatality taking the tally to 12,87,860 and toll to 9,122 respectively, a health department official said.

This is for the third time this month when the number of daily Covid-19 infections came down to a single digit. While eight people were infected on April 10, five had tested positive on April 4. The state on Monday had logged 12 new cases.

Of the six new cases, Sambalpur district registered three, Khurda one and Kendrapara one.

The lone fatality was reported from Bhubaneswar, the official said. Odisha now has 137 active cases.

There are no active cases in seven districts - Nayagarh, Keonjhar, Puri, Deogarh, Jharsuguda, Koraput and Kalahandi.

As many as 12,78,548 patients have so far recovered from the highly infectious disease.