New Delhi: Dealing with the quandary of letting its personnel who had gone on leave or for temporary duties or undertaking courses before the contagion-induced nationwide lockdown began, the Indian Army has 'colour-coded' its men and women who are reporting back to duty.
The three colours chosen are 'green', 'yellow' and 'red'.
'Green' will be for those army personnel who have completed the 14 day-long quarantine period, ‘yellow’ for those who require to undergo the 14- day quarantine period, and 'red' for those who are COVID-19 symptomatic and require isolation and further treatment in COVID hospital.
In effect, all personnel reporting back from leave/temporary duty/courses will be classified 'yellow' and will undergo 14 days quarantine period at the reporting station or unit. These personnel will subsequently be moved from reporting station to duty station or unit in army vehicles or special trains etc.
The army has also prioritised the rejoining process. At the top of the priority list are all ranks of the 'sensitive' Northern Command and all Army Medical Corps, Army Dental Corps and Military Nursing Services personnel who will have to take private transport to their unit or duty station if it is within 500 km.
Next in priority are all ranks of the Eastern Command plus officers and key appointments of other Commands as decided by the respective Commands.
Furthermore, the personnel will rejoin only on receipt of specific instructions from their units or formations and establishments that had granted leave or permission for temporary duty.
Meanwhile, all Indian army personnel from Nepal on leave are to remain at their home stations till the situation in Nepal stabilizes and the government opens the border for onward movement. The move instructions will be passed to such personnel from their parent units or headquarters or establishments.
But none of these orders will be applicable for those in 'hotspots and containment zones'.
An army source dealing with the matter said: "Those from hotspots and containment zones will strictly abide by 'no movement' orders till the areas are de-notified as containment zones."
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