Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Surjit Kumar Jayani on Tuesday directed health officials to clear the long-pending files within a week. Besides, direction to install a complaint box within 24 hours at the head office was also issued, maintaining that the same would be opened by the Minister only every week.
The directions came after the Minister conducted a surprise check at the head office finding 10 officials absent. As the Minister remained at the DHS for about four hours at a stretch, he also took serious note of files pending for years.
Jayani reached the office at 10 minutes past 9 am, and ordered the closure of main entrance of the office catching everyone off guard. After minutely examining the attendance of more than 200 employees in the attendance registers of more than 30 branches, Jayani found as many as 10 officials absent from office without any written communication to the officers concerned.
Taking serious note of the absentees, the Minister asked the Director Health Dr Karanjit Singh to immediately issue a warning to them to be placed on their service records.Finding the working of the health directorate in shambles, the Minister ordered proper upkeep of infrastructure and streamlining other essential services in the department.
Understanding the gravity of situation, the Minister ordered installation of a complaint box within 24 hours for the public at the entrance of the director health office which would be opened weekly by the Minister himself.Inspecting branches and randomly checking files, Jayani found pendency of small administrative issues of more than two years. He asked the director to ensure disposal of pending cases within seven days.
He also asked the Director to ensure online monitoring of the files besides ensuring and certifying that no file is pending for more than seven days.