New Delhi, Jan 31 (PTI) The Centre on Monday extended work from home arrangement for 50 per cent of its employees below the level of Under Secretary till February 15, according to a Personnel Ministry order.

Persons with disabilities and pregnant women employees would continue to be exempted from attending offices.

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The Personnel Ministry had on January 3 issued an order allowing work from home 50 per cent of employees below the level of Under Secretary till January 31, because of the rise in Covid cases.

In an order issued on Monday extending the arrangements till February 15, it said Central government officers and staffers will have to follow staggered timing -- 9 am to 5.30 pm and 10 am to 6.30 pm -- to avoid overcrowding in offices.

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"Physical attendance of government servants below the level of Under Secretary shall be restricted to 50 per cent of the actual strength and the remaining 50 per cent shall work from home. A roster may be prepared accordingly by all the departments concerned," it had said.

All officers of the level of Under Secretary and above are to attend office regularly, the order stated.

Personnel Ministry also extended the suspension of biometric attendance for the employees till February 15.

It had earlier this month suspended the marking of biometric attendance for all its employees till January 31, as a precautionary measure to check the spread of COVID-19.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)