Including Director Mangal Singh
Wielding his stick to maintain punctuality and discipline among the Government officials, Punjab Chief Secretary Sarvesh Kaushal on Monday cracked whip at the State Agriculture Department.
A surprise check conducted at Kaushal’s directions on Monday found 85 officials, including Agriculture Director Mangal Singh, absent at the Agriculture Directorate in Chandigarh. Besides, in a surprise checking of tehsil offices across the State, total 212 officials were found absent.
Kaushal has asked the Financial Commissioner Development to seek explanation of absentee officials at the Agriculture directorate and take necessary action within a period of seven days.
In addition, the concerned Deputy Commissioners, who carried out the checks at the tehsil offices, have issued show cause notices to the absentees.
“This surprise checking is part of ongoing campaign initiated by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to ensure punctuality in the Government offices to provide better and efficient service delivery to the citizens,” said a Government spokesperson.
He said that such inspections shall be conducted in future also and any kind of irregularity in official work and absenteeism would not be tolerated. Suitable departmental proceedings shall also be initiated against erring officials, he added.
In surprise inspection conducted in the office of Director Agriculture and Punjab Seed Corporation, Chandigarh, by Special Secretary, Personnel, Gurpreet Sapra along with Joint Secretary, Vigilance, 85 officials were found absent including the Director.
Besides, five Joint Directors —Nirankar Singh, Kawaljit Singh, Dev Raj Kalia, Sarabjit Singh and Rajneesh Chander Mehta — among others were also found absent.
In tehsils, 52 officials were found absent in Jalandhar district, 28 in Fazilka including Fazilka District Revenue Officer, Abohar Naib Tehsildar and other officials of District Administrative Complex Fazilka and Tehsil Abohar.
During surprise checking in various tehsil offices of the Amritsar district, 26 officials were found absent, 24 in Patiala, 24 in Fatehgarh Sahib including Fatehgarh Sahib Tehsildar Hari lal, SDA Swarn Singh, junior assistant Santosh Kumari and other officials of Tehsil offices.
Similarly, many officials were found absent in tehsil offices of other districts conducted by the concerned Deputy Commissioners.
Taking serious note of the absenteeism of officials in tehsil offices of the State, Kaushal has asked Financial Commissioner Revenue to take strict action against the erring officials and to ensure punctuality and discipline in all the Tehsil offices.