5 ED officials test positive for COVID-19, headquarters sealed
New Delhi: Five Enforcement Directorate (ED) employees, including a special director rank officer, have tested positive for COVID-19, following which the headquarters of the central probe agency have been sealed for 48 hours till Monday, officials said.
Out of the five, two are contract employees. The employees were found infected after the agency carried out section-wise testing at its headquarters in the wake of some COVID-19 cases being reported from other floors of the Lok Nayak Bhawan in Khan Market, where the ED office is located, the officials said on Saturday.
All the ED employees who were found infected with COVID-19 after "proactive testing" are asymptomatic, they said.
According to the officials, the employees who have tested positive include a special director rank officer and an investigating officer. All of them have been admitted to isolation facilities for treatment.
People who came in contact with them have been quarantined, they added.
As per procedure, the headquarters of the agency have been sealed for 48 hours and are expected to resume operations on Monday, the officials said.
The affected employees have not been coming to office since they tested positive, they said.
In order to check the spread of COVID-19, a protocol has been put in place for sanitising the ED headquarters twice a week and all documents. 'Daak' (post) is sanitised before it is handed over to officers and other staff of the agency, they added.
Last month, too, an ED employee had tested positive for COVID-19.
The ED is the federal agency that investigates money laundering, black money and hawala crimes under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).
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IndianOil says it has scaled up Auto LPG supplies
Bengaluru (PTI): IndianOil on Thursday said it has significantly scaled up its Auto LPG supplies across Karnataka in response to a sharp surge in demand, particularly following the closure or partial shutdown of several private Auto LPG outlets in Bengaluru and other parts of the state.
The PSU major said it is currently meeting the fuel requirements of auto rickshaws and LPG-driven cars through its network of 55 Auto LPG Dispensing Stations (ALDS) spread across Karnataka, even as a substantial portion of demand has shifted to public sector outlets due to over 300 privately operated outlets being closed or only partially functional.
"Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IndianOil) has significantly scaled up its Auto LPG supplies across Karnataka in response to a recent surge in demand," V Vetriselvakkumar, Chief General Manager (Corporate Communications) said in a release.
He added that the move comes particularly following the closure or partial shutdown of several private Auto LPG outlets in Bengaluru and other parts of the state.
Despite the increased operational burden, the company said it has taken concerted measures to ensure uninterrupted supply and efficient service delivery to LPG-powered vehicles during the current situation.
The average daily sales at IndianOil's ALDS in Karnataka have risen sharply to 59.53 metric tonne (MT), compared to the previous three-month average of 43.4 MT, reflecting a significant spike in consumer demand, the release said.
Reiterating its commitment, Vetriselvakkumar said IndianOil remains focused on ensuring seamless fuel accessibility while adhering to government directives and maintaining equitable distribution across all sectors.
