Tightening noose around the babus, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Wednesday issued separate instructions to abstain officers for functioning from their camp offices at residences, and also to check their overstay in official accommodations.
Chief Minister has also asked the Government officers not to leave their headquarters, in any case, without the prior approval from the competent authority.At the same time, Badal has categorically made it clear that no complacency would be tolerated at any level in terms of ensuring good governance, clean and accountable administration.
The instructions, aimed ensuring prompt and hassle-free delivery of services to the general public, were issued after the Chief Minister took a serious note over the “growing tendency amongst several officers to operate from the camp office at their residences”.As a result of this “undesirable practice”, people coming from far-off places had to face a lot of inconvenience and hardships to get their work done in the Government offices.
In a strict warning, Badal asked such officers to shun this practice and function from their offices from 9 am to 5 pm on all working days. Chief Minister also impressed upon them to discharge their duties with utmost dedication, honesty and professional commitment in the public interest, and asked to maintain decorum and punctuality in offices to win over the confidence of the general public.
Terming as “unlawful and gross violation of Government instructions”, Badal said that none of the officers should leave their headquarters without prior permission of the competent officer.
Apart from this, Badal also cracked a whip on the officers or the officials who have overstayed their period of stay in the official accommodations. Issuing detailed instructions, he directed all the officers to “vacate” their official accommodations timely after the expiry of allotment period or ceasing of their eligibility. The directions were issued after it has been observed that several officers or officials overstayed in the official accommodation allotted to them even after the lapse of their eligibility.
Notably, Punjab Government Houses (General Pool) Amendment Rules, 1983, has been enacted in this regard. As per the Supreme Court’s judgment in the case of SD Bandi versus DivisionalTraffic Officer, KSRTC and Others, the State Government has been asked to ensure strict compliance of these orders in this regard.
In accordance with these instructions, rules and orders of the Apex Court, any allottee, who failed to vacate the official accommodation within the stipulated time period in any case, would be liable for non-disbursement of his salary besides deduction of penal rent from it. Acting tough, Badal has directed that no salary be provided to such erring officers, besides penal rent be deducted from their salaries.