Southern Railway issues fresh SOP for visitors to headquarters

Chennai

A few days ago, a deputy general manager of SR issued a circular to principal heads of all departments to ensure compliance with the new procedures to be followed at the zonal and divisional headquarters, which were closed over a week ago after many staff tested positive for COVID-19.

The revised SOP, which lays emphasis on entry and exits, strictly restricts the entry of any person into the headquarters campus without official work. The entry of people either by walk or personal/official vehicle would be permitted only through the gate near Mint Street. Instructing the closure of the main gate on the eastern side (near NGO annexe) till further notice, the DGM has instructed RPF officials to collect details from visitors about the visit, as has been done at the Secretariat and a few central government establishments since the early days of the lock down.

But a few railway officials admitted that it was too late. “Only now they have realised that they should collect the name, contact number, address, Aadhaar details and the purpose of visit from visitors. They have suggested screening visitors using infrared thermometer three months into the lockdown, and that too after an employee on campus succumbed to the infection. The circular effectively means the campus was free for all so far. No one had any idea who had visited and when. How would they trace possible contacts,” a senior official remarked.

“It is funny that the circular suggests entry to visitors after thorough verification and after the confirmation from the official the visitor intends to meet. Coronavirus caught them napping last week. They can contain the damage henceforth. At least they have acted now,” remarked another official from the division.