Mangaluru: District In-charge Minister S Angara on Monday directed deputy commissioner to take legal action against officials delaying payment of salaries to Covid warriors, who were striving hard to check transmission of Covid-19 in the district.

“The Covid positivity rate is unusually high in the district. Thus it is the duty of the officials to ensure that salaries are paid on time to the Covid warriors involved in management, control and treatment of covid positive patients.”

Angara was presiding over district disaster management authority and Covid review meeting held at DC’s hall here, on Monday.

There should be no delay in payment of salary to lab technicians, staff nurses and canteen staff providing food to Covidwarriors, Angara said and directed deputy commissioner to place tahsildar or officials under suspension if they were found delaying the payment of salaries to the Covid warriors. 

He said as government was providing all facilities to contain transmission of Covid infection, such indifferent attitude of officials cannot be tolerated.

Deputy Commissioner Dr Rajendra K V promised to initiate action against such officials by the end of this month. He directed tahsildars to pay salaries before fifth day of the month.

If salaries were found delayed, notices will be slapped on Tahsildars and disciplinary action will be initiated against such officials, Rajendra warned.

To ensure effective management of Covid transmission in the district, number of tests had been increased in each taluk. The primary contacts of Covid infected persons should be immediately tracked down, he stressed.

Presently, on an average over 11,000 tests are conducted. These tests will be increased to 15,000 tests per day. A minimum of 20 primary contacts of the infected should be subjected to tests, he said.

A minimum of 180 to 200 tests should be conducted in each primary health centres. Each lab technician should conduct a minimum of 50 swab testings per day, the DC said.

All primary health centres required a number of lab technicians and vehicles to conduct more number of tests, DC added.

MP Nalin Kumar Kateel said the district administration could take more people on contact basis in order to conduct more tests.