The state vigilance bureau (VB) has recommended strict action against Punjab government employees who are permanent residents and green-card holders of foreign countries. Heads of departments have been asked to take action against such employees in two months.
The recommendations sent to chief secretary on Monday are to be approved by chief minister Parkash Singh Badal.
The VB's move comes in the wake of a report submitted by a five-member committee headed by the state home secretary Jagpal Singh Sandhu a fortnight ago, which found that these employees had violated various instructions issued by the government of India and the Punjab government over the past decade.
The committee stated that the act of seeking a permanent residence in another country by permanent employees of the state government amounted to violation of service rules and instructions issued in 1993 by the government of India and Punjab government in 2006. The committee has also sought state's legal remembrancer advice of the issue.
The committee was constituted last month after the state vigilance bureau found 130 gazetted and non-gazetted officers of the Punjab government to be permanent residents and green-card holders of foreign countries. The list included an IAS officer and two PCS officers among a host of senior officers. The VB was asked by the CM in August last year to shortlist all such employees and initiate action.
Other than the list of 130 employees identified by the VB, another list of 170 employees was handed to the personnel department by the other departments last month taking the number of Punjab's "migrant" officers to 300. The government is gathering information of another 500 "suspected" employees.
The committee was constituted last month after the state vigilance bureau found 130 gazetted and non-gazetted officers of the Punjab government to be permanent residents and green-card holders of foreign countries. The list included an IAS officer and two PCS officers among a host of senior officers. The VB was asked by the CM in August last year to shortlist all such employees and initiate action.
Other than the list of 130 employees identified by the VB, another list of 170 employees was handed to the personnel department by the other departments last month taking the number of Punjab's "migrant" officers to 300. The government is gathering information of another 500 "suspected" employees.
The vigilance bureau has in its detailed proposal to the chief secretary prepared a blueprint for initiating action against such employees. The proposal states that other than the list of 300 employees with them, the head of departments will within the next two months identify other employees in their department and conduct a physical check of their passports. The status of the visas and various visits to foreign countries will have to given by the identified employees.
The head of departments will be then asked to initiate action against the employees, besides asking them to give up the green card. The VB has also proposed that the employees who do not wish to give up the green cards can be asked to leave the service.
Sources said cases where the employees went to a foreign country under the self-employment scheme will also face action as they were supposed to give up the permanent residence on their return to India and joining the government service.
Head of the departments have been made responsible for initiating action against the employees failing which action will be taken against them, added sources.