The Tamil Nadu government has, on Friday, announced that the state-run offices will be functioning from Monday - May 18 with 50% of the manpower across the state, and the government's move of increasing the working strength would be the initial phase of exiting from the nationwide lockdown. 

In the order issued by the Chief Secretary, the government offices will be functioning from Monday to Saturday (six days a week working plan) with 50% of the manpower to compensate for the loss of working days incurred during the lockdown. The offices will be functioning from 10 am to 5.45 pm. 

According to the reports, the government will be providing adequate bus facilities to transport the staff to their workplaces. The government has also made some changes in the working pattern and as per the order, the first batch will work on Monday and Tuesday, the second batch will work on Wednesday and Thursday, and the first batch will again work on Friday and Saturday and in the following week, the second batch will open the weekly schedule and this plan will run on a rotational basis in the subsequent weeks.

The Chief Secretary stated that the government offices will be having half of the manpower with the view of ensuring that the social distancing norms are being followed. Currently, the government offices are functioning with 33% manpower. All group 'A' officers and the heads of offices will be reporting to duty on all working days while the rest of the staff will be working for four days a week. 

The order is applicable for all offices including Chief Secretariat, boards, commissions, corporations, companies, universities, societies, institutions, district and field offices under the state government. However, the offices in the containment zones shall remain closed. Tamil Nadu Personnel and Administrative reforms minister Jayakumar said the government has increased the manpower with the view of extending the welfare measures to people amid the lockdown. 

According to the Minister, the social distancing norms will be followed at the workplaces and the staff will be given with the sanitizers. The public must wear masks while coming to the offices failing which they won't be allowed. The reports stated that the current tenure of the lockdown will come to an end by Sunday - May 17 and the government has been considering extending the lockdown till May 29 as it has been aiming to flatten the curve of COVID-19 infected cases.