Kerala secretariat shuts down after 18 years fearing community transmission

Fearing community transmission in the state capital, the Kerala secretariat has been shut down for the first time in 18 years. All state ministers including the Chief Minister shifted their offices from the secretariat building to their official residences, as the city remains under triple lockdown.

Thiruvananthapuram: With the triple lockdown regulations in place in the capital city, the government’s administration centre - the secretariat - remains locked down, for the first time in 18 years. It is also the first time that all the state ministers including the Chief Minister shifted their offices from the secretariat building to their official residences.

It was in 2002, that the secretariat had to remain closed due to a large scale protest by the government employees against cutting down their salary benefits. Thereafter, this is the first time that the functions at the secretariat have been stopped completely and the premises remain closed.

The Chief Minister’s office in the North Block of the Secretariat building has been shifted to the Cliff House, his official residence. All other ministers followed suit and shifted their offices to their residences.

Meanwhile, Thiruvananthapuram corporation limits remain under triple lockdown, following a spike in coronavirus cases. The announcement came hours after the Tourism Minister said the district was 'sitting on an active volcano' with a rising number of COVID-19 cases and there was no guarantee that there would be no community spread.

Read: Triple lockdown in Thiruvananthapuram from July 6

At the main entrance to the Secretariat - the Cantonment gate, there is no rush on the roads. Only the police personnel remain on duty in front of the gate, to check vehicles and to enforce the lockdown norms.

The government and the health department are anxious that situation may slip out of control. Besides the Secretariat, all other government offices also remain shut in the state capital.

Besides, there will be no public transportation. Only the medical, other essential shops and hospitals will function. People can go to medical shops with a proper prescription.

Meanwhile, state police chief Loknath Behera told media that all the roads leading to the city would be closed and only essential services will be allowed to ply.

It is to be noted that, during the term of Oommen Chandy’s UDF government, even when the LDF cadres surrounded the Secretariat following the infamous solar scam, the secretariat’s functioning was not affected.