Maharashtra's Chief Secretary Sanjay Kumar tests COVID-19 positive

Chief Secretary Sanjay Kumar has been tested positive for the coronavirus. Kumar has mild symptoms and is under home quarantine. He is latest among senior bureaucrats who have been tested COVID-19 positive in the past few days. 

Kumar and his staff decided to undergo COVID-19 tests. With his busy schedule filled with meetings, the concerns of those who came in close contact with the Chief Secretary have increased. 

Special efforts will be made in ‘Mantrlaya’ after the Chief Secretary tested corona positive. Sanjay Kumar, 59, was appointed as the Chief Secretary of Maharashtra in June. He is the 1984 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer.

Earlier, Additional Chief Secretary (General Administration) Sujata Saunik had tested positive for the coronavirus. Meanwhile, in Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Additional Municipal Commissioners Ashwini Bhide and Sanjeev Jaiswal have tested positive for the coronavirus. 

As this happened, the Maharashtra State Gazette Officers Federation has demanded the state government to withdraw its order of 100 per cent attendance for Group A and B officers in government offices. 

As part of the unlocking process under ‘Mission Begin Again’ from September 1, the Maharashtra government had allowed the private offices to work with 30 per cent strength from the 10 per cent limit. In government offices, the officers belonging to Group A (Executive) and B (Gazetted) will have to work at 100 per cent. 

Till now, 15 cabinet ministers in the Uddhav Thackeray government have tested positive for the coronavirus. Recently, Maharashtra Higher and Technical Education Minister Uday Samant tested COVID-19 positive. 

Earlier, Maharashtra ministers Varsha Gaikwad (School Education), Eknath Shinde (Urban Development), Bacchu Kadu (MoS, School Education), Nitin Raut (Energy), Hasan Mushrif (Rural Development), Jitendra Awhad (Housing), Ashok Chavan (Public Works), Dhananjay Munde (Social Justice), Sunil Kedar (Animal Husbandry), Balasaheb Patil (Cooperation), Aslam Shaikh (Ports, Textile), Abdul Sattar (MoS, Rural Development), Sanjay Bansode (MoS, Environment) and Vishwajeet Kadam (MoS, Cooperation) had tested positive for COVID-19.