After the formula of one person-one post brought Congress party and Virbhadra Singh Government on a collision course, now it seems another battle ground is getting ready on the issue of posting of tainted officials.
Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) president Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Thursday demanded that Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh should take action against the Officers with Doubtful Integrity (ODI) and such officers should be transferred from the sensitive posts at the earliest keeping in view the administrative exigencies.
Sukhu said that Congress has adopted zero tolerance against corruption and the Government employees facing departmental proceedings and figuring in the ODI list should not be allowed to continue against the sensitive posts in the State.
The HPCC president said that Government should fix time frame for completion of departmental proceedings against such officers. He has also requested Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh to ask the concerned departments to expedite the pending trials against such Government employees.
“These alleged corrupt officers should not be allowed to take benefit of delay in the departmental proceedings or delay in trial and the posting of such erring officers on sensitive posts also affects the working of other honest officers in the state,” said Sukhu.
He added that Congress Government should give clear cut message to the general public that corruption would not be tolerated at any cost in the state and all the government employees should focus their attention at providing better services to the general public without any delay.
Sukhu said Congress had promised corruption free governance in the state in its election manifesto and the State Government has started inquiries against the
corrupt acts of the earlier BJP Government.
“During the previous BJP-led Government, several government employees acted as the puppets to political masters and their collusion has caused heavy loss to the Government exchequer,” he added.
Incidentally on December 2, officiating chief secretary Partho Mitra had submitted in the High Court in the case pertaining to tainted officers posted at sensitive posts for modification of November 18, order of High Court directing the state government to post 43 officials of doubtful integrity to non-sensitive posts.
Mitra said in the affidavit filed in the High Court that it is always the effort of the Government to avoid posting of such officers in sensitive posts, but since non-sensitive posts are not there in all cadres and hence, it may become unavoidable to post some officers in posts, which cannot strictly be termed as non-sensitive. The matter is scheduled for hearing in High Court on Friday.