Gadchiroli collector tests Covid +ve, starts work from home

NAGPUR: Gadchiroli collector Dipak Singla tested Covid-19 positive on Saturday, but has decided to continue to work from home instead of going on leave.
The 34-year-old IAS officer of 2012 batch, despite having fever and weakness, continued work even on Sunday saying the warlike situation warrants his participation and not absence.
With only a handful of senior officials, who can play decisive role in the Covid situation, at hand, Singla, a chartered accountant before joining the civil services, decided to turn his home isolation facility into a makeshift office.
The tribal district is gradually witnessing spike in the number of Covid cases. As on date, the district has seen over 1,500 cases of which 298 are under treatment and three deaths.
Singla said he chaired a meeting on Sunday through videoconferencing to discuss modalities to start home isolation system in the district, reviewed the progress of RT-PCR testing facilities and also fine-tuned a few steps to start a video series for social media campaign regarding Covid awareness to sensitize the masses.
“Using a laptop, Internet, iPad etc at home, I can conduct virtual meetings to review day-to-day situation,” he said.
Singla said he has instructed to deliver any important documents that require his signatures to be sent to his bungalow wrapped in protective material.
“I had travelled to my native place in Haryana to meet family members and probably contracted the disease due to the outstation movement,” he said.