Punjab Chief Secretary Anurag Verma has suspended Nangal Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Udaydeep Singh Sidhu for remaining absent from duty during the floods in the area. The action came after the Ropar Deputy Commissioner Preeti Yadav had written a letter on August 17 to the Chief Secretary in this regard.
Sidhu was posted as Nangal SDM on August 14. After joining duty the next day, he unfurled the flag at the Independence Day function. On the same day, the release of water from Bhakra Dam into Sutlej had led to flooding in several areas of Nangal and Anandpur Sahib.
As per the suspension orders, Ropar Deputy Commissioner Yadav had written a letter to the Chief Secretary on August 17 stating that the SDM was absent from duty during an emergency situation and did not bother to coordinate with other officials for rescue work. In his absence, the charge of Nangal SDM was handed over to the Chief Minister field officer Amanjot Kaur.
Sidhu claimed he was on medical leave due to pain in his spine for long. He only went to unfurl the flag on Independence Day on the insistence of authorities and even visited some flood-affected villages but could not stay for long due to severe pain, Sidhu argued.