Amid COVID, Raj CS asks sr officials to avoid personal meets, hold video conferences

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Rajasthan Chief Secretary Rajeeva Swarup on Monday asked senior officials to hold video conferences in place of normal official meetings in the secretariat. Taking the initiative amid the rising number of coronavirus cases and also to save time, the chief secretary held the first video conference with officials to review the status of silicosis cases in the state today.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Rajasthan Chief Secretary Rajeeva Swarup on Monday asked senior officials to hold video conferences in place of normal official meetings in the secretariat. Taking the initiative amid the rising number of coronavirus cases and also to save time, the chief secretary held the first video conference with officials to review the status of silicosis cases in the state today. Silicosis is a lung disease caused by breathing in tiny bits of silica, a common mineral found in many types of rock and soil. Mines and quarry workers are prone to it due to exposure to silica particles over time.

Normally, official meetings in the secretariat are held in the conference hall and committee room. The officials of various departments joined the review meeting through video conference.

The chief secretary reviewed the certification of silicosis patients and other related matters in the meeting. Swarup along with Principal Secretary Gayatri Rathore of Social Justice and Empowerment Department were present in the chief secretary's office while Additional Chief Secretary (Mines) Subodh Agarwal, Additional Chief Secretary (Finance) Niranjan Arya, Principal Secretary (Medical and Health) Akhil Arora, Labour Secretary Neeraj K Pawan joined the video conference from their respective offices, a release said. The chief secretary also took feedback from officials about the new arrangement. The officers welcomed the move saying it will save time. After this, the chief secretary directed all additional chief secretaries, principal secretaries, and secretaries to hold video conferences as much as possible.