Top officials at the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways were in for a rude shock when they reached their offices on Tuesday morning at the high-security Transport Bhawan on Parliament Street. At least ten officials found that their nameplates, embossed in brass, were missing.
According to service rules, only Chief Engineers and officers of the rank of Joint Secretary and above are entitled to brass nameplates. All officers below these ranks get acrylic nameplates.
Some of the senior officials who were victims to this unusual theft are Rohit Kumar Singh (JS-Highways), Alkesh Kumar (JS-Tolls), Chief Engineers AK Srivastava, C Ekambram, NK Sharma, Verinder Kaul and AP Pathak.
Minister of State for Shipping Milind Deora’s office is also on the second floor, where the security was breached.
“This is a serious security lapse. If someone can do this mischief in the corridors of this high-security building, how long will it take for them to enter the offices, where confidential files are kept,” said a senior officer.
“Although minor, the theft happened on the same floors where offices of Ministers and Joint Secretary rank officers are located. The security should definitely be beefed up,” he added.
A senior officer, who was one of the victims of the theft said: “When I reached my office this morning, I found my nameplate missing. For a minute I thought that I have been transferred to some other Ministry. But then I peeped into my office and found that the files I had left on my table the previous evening were still there. I heaved a sigh of relief and entered my office where I found everything intact. Soon, I learnt that at least six to seven officers on the second and third floors had also found their nameplates missing,” he said.
Another senior official said: “Finding my nameplate missing, I thought my office had been moved without my knowledge. I checked with my personal assistant to learn that many officials had got the same nasty surprise since morning.
“That is when we realised that there had been a theft and raised an alarm.“It is a shame that the miscreants could make their way into this high-security zone. Even people with serious business need to have the consent of the office concerned to get a spot pass made and only after the necessary security check are they allowed to enter the building.”
Even as the Roads Ministry has initiated an internal enquiry into the matter, they have also lodged a formal complaint at the Parliament Street Police Station.