A tribal welfare department in Chhattisgarh has on Wednesday issued a warning to the employees that they won't be paid next month if they fail to take the vaccine for the COVID-19 pandemic. The development has stirred flak from the workers as some of them had expressed displeasure over the order, which has come in a coercive fashion.  

According to reports, a tribal welfare department officer in the state has issued an order asking the staff members to get vaccinated against the COVID-19 viral infection, failing which their salaries for the next month won't be released. The order of arresting the salary was issued by Assistant Commissioner of Tribal Welfare Department KS Masram in Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi district.

The order was issued on May 21 and a copy of it had gone viral on social media triggering strong criticisms from the workers. The order has directed the officers and employees working in the tribal welfare department-run offices, ashrams (residential schools), and hostels in the district to receive the vaccine without fail. 

The department has asked the staff members to submit their vaccination certificates to its office and if they do not take the vaccine, their salaries for the next month will be withheld and the department said that the order has come into force on the date of its issuance. 

According to PTI, Assistant Commissioner Masram has on Wednesday said that the main objective behind the order was to ensure 100 per cent vaccination of the department's staff members in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. 

He said, "My intention was to get all my officers and employees vaccinated." The Assistant Commissioner had claimed that 95 per cent of the department's staff members had taken the vaccine shots after the order was issued. Earlier, Masram had also issued an order on May 20 for the COVID-19 vaccination of families of all officers and employees working in the department.