LAHORE            -             Chief Secretary Punjab Major (r) Azam Suleman Khan, on Saturday ordered all the provincial departments to prepare their contingency plans regarding coronavirus and submit a report in this regard within two days. He issued these directions while presiding over a meeting at camp office attended by all administrative secretaries through video link.

The Chief Secretary asked the Services and General Administration Department to prepare a list of retired officers so that they could be engaged as volunteers in case of emergency.

The meeting decided that to overcome staff shortage 50 officers would be attached with divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners temporarily.   The Chief Secretary directed that departments other than health, home, industries, food and agriculture must submit lists of their officers and officials, so as to they could be assigned duties if needed.

He mentioned that the essential services departments can call all their staff on duty. He also issued instructions to Food Department to update its stocks position on a daily basis.

He said that the women government employees whose children are in daycare centres have been exempted from attendance in their offices.

 He also ordered the officers to ensure uninterrupted supply of food and daily-use item to people to avoid shortage of any commodity.