NEW DELHI: Officials who returned to the finance ministry on Monday after several weeks of work from home said there were physical meetings but social distancing was the norm, especially as offices had ample space.The absence of a formal government order asking senior officers to return to offices also meant that some drivers could not come, prompting officers to drive themselves, navigating through police checkposts where cops often demanded a copy of the order or a curfew pass.But there was plenty of space in the parking lots, though Shastri Bhavan that houses ministries of human resource development, law and justice, petroleum, chemicals and fertiliser and information & broadcasting, among others, was an exception. “Cars were all over the place as so many joint secretaries and subordinates turned up,” said an officer, who had got used to seeing very few people at work while he attended during the lockdown.Although canteens were shut in many buildings, officers didn’t seem to be missing it as they relied on the electric kettle and tea bags in their rooms and homecooked lunch. Like chai and office gossip, physical files were also missing with officers opting to use the e-office since there were few peons to ferry papers to the bosses.