EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, May 4: Despite availability of funds to the respective district administrations, hundreds of employees engaged to conduct home to home survey, have been working without any protective gear provided by the administration, barring a few district administrations.
According to the employees engaged to conduct home to home survey, to know about the details of all the residents and update their details in view of COVID-19 threat, majority of them have not been given any protective gear.
“We have purchased the protective gear including hand gloves and masks from our own pocket, which should otherwise be provided by the district administration”, an employee said, adding that the employees should be given the N-95 masks as well as hand gloves.
The employees have to visit each and every household to get details. “The employees engaged in the survey are most vulnerable to get infection as they have been interacting with people of all hue and cries. You don’t know, which of the person is infected or not”, the employees said, adding that they should have been given some equipments, to notice the temperature of the people to get exact details but for that protective gear is must.
While questioning the district administrations the employees pointed out towards district Samba, where the administration has provided all the employees, engaged in survey, masks as well as hand gloves. “The administrations of all districts have been given Rs. 2.5 Crores by the UT administration to purchase the items required to deal with the epidemic, whereas the NGOs are also available to provide masks as well as gloves to the employees but it is the responsibility of the district administrations to provide protective gear to the employees as there is no scarcity of the funds”, a senior official pleading anonymity said.
The official further said that providing protective gear to the employees was the responsibility of the respective district administration, in which majority of the administration have failed. “Few days back, an employee had gone for conducting home to home survey and he was bitten by a dog but the administration has not provided him any facility but the employee has to bear all the expenses”, an employee said, adding if the funds were available with the DCs then the facilities should be provided to the employees, who have been endangering their lives for greater good of the society. |
