On Day 1, New Noida DM Orders Sealing Of Company After 16 Of Its Employees Test Positive For COVID-19

On Day 1 of his job, New Noida District Magistrate Suhas LY has shown that he means business. On Tuesday, the young officer ordered the sealing of a company in Sector-135 and FIR against its management for hiding the travel history of its staff. As many as 16 employees of the company have been tested positive for the coronavirus infection. The administration of the company had called an auditor from abroad earlier in March for auditing purposes. A fire safety company with a global presence, the Noida unit had called the British auditor who was in close contact with many employees. The chain of contacts is worrying the officials over fear of community transmission. Suhas LY was appointed as Noida DM on Monday. (Coronavirus LIVE Updates)

BN Singh was transferred for failing to control the spread of coronavirus, after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited the hotspot of the deadly infection in the state. Suhas LY, who was Prayagraj DM in his last stint, is also a para-badminton champion. He had won the gold medal at Asian Paralympic Badminton Championship. Apart from Prayagraj, Suhas LY has also been DM of Jaunpur, Azamgarh, etc. Originally hailing from Karnataka's Shimoga, Suhas LY became an IAS officer in 2007.

Noida has emerged as a coronavirus hotspot in the country with more than 30 confirmed cases. Last week, on Saturday, five new cases of COVID-19 disease were reported from the city. The officials are worried over the way the town has been developed. There are several housing societies in the town that can have a few hundred to several thousand residents. With cases being reported from such societies, authorities have resorted to sealing the entire premise.

On Saturday, housing societies in Sector 23, 44, 37 and 128 were sealed by the authorities. On Monday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited the district and pulled up officials in Gautam Buddh Nagar for not being able to contain the spread of coronavirus in the district, which has recorded 38 COVID-19 cases so far, highest in the state. While reviewing the district’s preparedness to deal with the virus outbreak, Adityanath reprimanded the officers for not taking tough action against a private company which, the health department suspects, has directly or indirectly infected nearly two dozen people so far.

“Ye bakwas band karo apna… bakwas kar-kar ke aap logon ne poora mahaul kharab ho gaya hai yahan pe.. zimmedariyon ka nirvahan karne ke bajaay ek doosre pe wo (dosh) daalna.. (Stop talking nonsense. You all have spoilt the situation here with all this nonsense. Instead of fulfilling your responsibilities you are passing the buck). We had issued orders two months ago, the order was for the entire state,” Adityanath told the officers sternly, directing them to work more efficiently and contain the spread of the virus.

(With agency inputs)