Setting up isolation centres

21/05/2020

The Department of Higher Education had few days back ordered opening of all colleges and universities across the Union Territory with immediate effect without resuming class work, which shall remain suspended till May 30. As per the order, the offices of Vice Chancellors, including Head of Departments and Principals of Government Degree Colleges of Higher Education Department and Principals of Polytechnic Colleges and ITIs of Technical Education Department across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir shall start functioning from May 6 with minimum 30 percent staff strength on rotation basis. Maximum of the colleges in Kashmir valley have been declared as the quarantine while in Jammu Division, Government Degree Colleges at Kathua, Udhampur, Poonch, Mandi, Surankot, Rajouri and Doda are functioning as the quarantine centres. As the campuses of maximum colleges have been turned into quarantine centres in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Principals and staff of these institutions are in a trouble over the Government order on opening of offices of all the institutions of higher education across the Union Territory with immediate effect. While campuses and hostels of a big number of the colleges across Jammu and Kashmir are already functioning as quarantine centres, several teaching and non-teaching staff members have been performing COVID-19 duties in these centres.
Few other colleges such as Government Degree College Bhaderwah, have also been asked to facilitate setting up isolation centres at their campuses to quarantine the suspected patients of COVID-19. In view of the present status of these colleges, the Principals as well as their staff are highly confused over the implementation of Government order on opening of offices of the institutions of higher education with immediate effect, that too in contravention of the guidelines issued by Ministry of Home Affairs in view of the extended lockdown because of COVID-19 pandemic. This order is also clear violation of the Ministry of Home Affairs’ guidelines on the measures to be taken by Ministries/departments of Government of India, State/UT Governments and State/UT authorities for containment of COVID-19 in the country for the extended period of National lockdown for a further period of two weeks with effect from May 4, 2020.

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