Karnataka govt allows cremation, burial of COVID-19 victims in kin's land
Bengaluru, Apr 21: Karnataka government on Wednesday permitted cremation or burial of the bodies of COVID-19 victims in the land or farmhouse owned by the bereaved family or relatives by strictly adhering to the guidelines.
There have been requests to that effect from the family of the dead and it is prudent to swiftly and respectfully dispose of the body in a manner keeping in view of the grieving circumstance, and to avoid crowding in the crematoriums or burial grounds, an order from Principal Secretary (Revenue) N Manjunatha Prasad said.
There have been increasing number of complaints about lack of space or long queues at burial grounds and crematoria.
Families have been asked to strictly adhere to all other COVID-19 protocols, including sanitisation, ensuring that those placing the bodies in the grave or on the funeral pyre wear PPE kits, gloves and other protective gear.
In case of inter-state or inter-district transportation of bodies of COVID-19 confirmed or of suspected virus case, the hospital or medical officer should issue the death certificate in a prescribed format along with a test report as available.
As per the guidelines, bathing and hugging the deceased should be avoided, the order said.
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Govt employees mandated to complete competency-linked courses: Centre in Rajya Sabha
New Delhi (PTI): All central government employees have been mandated to complete competency-linked courses relevant to their role or level on a dedicated online platform annually, which will reflect in their annual performance appraisal reports, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Thursday.
The government has adopted a competency-based capacity building approach, focusing on role-based learning, continuous skill development, and alignment of training with role requirements, Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh said in a written reply.
"The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has mandated all central government employees and officers of the all-India services to complete competency-linked courses mapped to their role/level and comprehensive assessments prescribed by their ministries/ departments/organisations (MDOs) or cadre controlling authorities (CCAs) on iGOT (integrated government online training) portal annually, which is to be also reflected in their annual performance appraisal reports (APARs)," he said.
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The minister was responding to a query about the government's plans to incorporate competency-based scores for promotion and appraisal processes of its employees.
A framework of roles, activities and competencies (FRAC) aims to align all positions in government with clearly defined roles, activities, and required competencies (behavioural, functional, and domain), Singh added.
In a separate reply, the minister said that details of the engagement of consultants are maintained by respective ministries and departments.
The General Financial Rules (GFR), 2017, administered by the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance, provides for the fundamental principles applicable to all ministries or departments concerning the engagement of consultants and external professionals or consultancy firms for specific jobs, he said.
"As informed by the Department of Expenditure, data regarding engagement of consultants is maintained by respective ministries and departments," Singh said.
The minister was asked the year-wise number of consultants engaged by all the central ministries and departments during the last five years.
