With uncertainty looming large over the fate of the state following Coronavirus pandemic in the country in general and Telugu states in particular, the Information Technology companies are keeping their fingers crossed and are looking up to the directions from the govenrments.
Andhra Pradesh government has decided to allow IT companies to start their operations from Monday. While software companies can start with 50 per cent of the staff, hardware companies can engage 100 per cent of their staff, but by maintaining safety norms like social distancing and sanitising the premises.
But there is a cache. Majority of these IT companies are located in the Red Zones, for example in Visakhapatnam. They cannot operate because of the restrictions. Even those companies which are outside the Red Zone cannot operate with 50 per cent or full staff, because the employees might have to come from Red Zones.
In Hyderabad, too, the IT companies are in the containment zones, because the entire GHMC area has been declared as a Red Zone. So, employees coming to the office is very difficult.
So, though the government gives relaxations for IT companies to allow 50 per cent of their employees to work from office, the Hyderabad Information Technology companies cannot run the show.
They are now looking at a staggered approach. The companies initially are looking at allowing 5 per cent to 10 per cent of their mission critical employees to come to office and thereafter allow others to join office as and when the situation demands.
Right now, IT and ITeS companies are asking for just staggered allowing of employees and the 50 per cent benchmark will come after two to three months.
Representatives from the companies have informed that they were also not in favour of having 50 per cent of the workforce come to office, Jayesh Ranjan, principal secretary, IT and Industries Department, said.
