Virtually donning the robe of a stern principal out to maintain discipline, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Tuesday caught hold of absentees or latecomers, including eight Cabinet Ministers, and a senior IAS officer.
Aimed at ensuring decorum and discipline in the Government, the senior Badal, along with the Chief Secretary Sarvesh Kaushal, carried out a surprise check on the third and sixth floor of the Punjab Civil Secretariat, housing all important offices and Ministers’ rooms, five minutes after the official timing starts.Among the Ministers found “missing” were Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Adesh Pratap Singh Kairon, Finance Minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa, and Irrigation Minister Sharanjit Singh Dhillon.
Four Ministers belonging to the BJP —local Bodies Minister Anil Joshi, Health Minister Surjit Kumar Jiyani, Forest and labour Minister Chunni lal Bhagat, and Industries Minister Madan Mohan Mittal — were also found to be absent when Badal turned up for checking. Besides, Principal Secretary General Administration Sanjay Kumar was also found absent from his office. As of now, no action has been taken by the Chief Minister against the absentees.
Cabinet Ministers like Agriculture Minister Tota Singh, Transport Minister Ajit Singh Kohar, Tourism and Jails Minister Sohan Singh Thandal, and Water Supply and Sanitation Minister Surjit Singh Rakhra were among those found to be present in their office during the check.
The surprise check comes within a month of “strict directives” by the Chief Minister to the Ministers and babus to remain present in their offices during official timings. Badal had asked the Cabinet Ministers to ensure their presence in their offices, at least between Tuesday and Thursday. Similarly, the bureaucrats had been asked to function from their offices, instead of camp offices at their residences. To ensure the same, the Chief Minister also carried out a check on May 27 in which 40 officers, including 18 Deputy Commissioners and 22 Senior Superintendents of Police, were found absent from their offices during official hours.
A Spokesman said that the surprise inspection by the Chief Minister was aimed at ensuring decorum and discipline in the Government to enable fulfillment of the State Government’s commitment regarding prompt delivery of services.Peeved, Badal has asked his Ministers to ensure their presence in office to discharge official work and urged officers or officials to remain available in office from 9 am to 5 pm “for the convenience of general public” who come all the way to meet them for getting their work done and to redress their grievances from far flung areas of the State.
Reiterating, the Chief Minister said that the officers or officials should also remain available in their offices from 9 am to 5 pm for the convenience of general public in order to instill a sense of confidence and belongingness in the State administration. He also impressed upon people’s representatives and bureaucracy to discharge their duties with utmost dedication, honesty and professional commitment in the larger public interest.
likewise, the Chief Minister also exhorted them to maintain punctuality in their offices to serve the masses with utmost zeal and sincerity.