Coronavirus Outbreak: 54 Puducherry govt hospital workers sacked for 'dereliction of duty, negligence' after abstaining from work on 2 April

Puducherry: The Puducherry district administration has ordered the dismissal of 54 workers at a government medical college hospital here, designated as an exclusive institution for COVID-19 patients, for “dereliction of duty and negligence” by abstaining from work on 2 April. In the order issued by District Collector T Arun on Thursday, it was stated that a report was submitted by the Dean of Indira Gandhi Medical College Hospital referring to the absence of the workers, who were engaged on a contract basis. _**Click here to follow LIVE updates on Coronavirus Outbreak**_ The order said the absence of workers on 2 April had disrupted emergency services at the hospital, a COVID 19 institution and interrupted in the discharge of duty by other officials in the hospital. It observed that this act on the part of the workers showed “dereliction of duty and negligence” in controlling the pandemic. As the workers were engaged on a contract basis, the institute had the right to terminate their services without any notice as per the terms and conditions of the agreement. The termination came into immediate effect to ensure the smooth functioning of the COVID-19 hospital, it pointed out. The workers had resorted to demonstration recently to bring to focus their charter of demands.