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After Punjab CM cracks whip, PCS officers call off protest, resume duty
Chief minister Bhagwant Mann had directed chief secretary VK Janjua to suspend all officers who did not join duty by 2pm on Wednesday
After Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann cracked the whip on Wednesday morning and declared their strike against the arrest of an officer in a corruption case illegal, Punjab Civil Service (PCS) and revenue officers fell in line and joined duty at 2pm.
In strict written orders, Mann directed chief secretary VK Janjua to suspend all officers who did not join duty by 2pm on Wednesday.
Also read: Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann declares PCS officers’ strike illegal
“It has been brought to my notice that some officers are not attending duty in the garb of some strike. They are protesting against strong action taken by the government against corrupt officers. The government has zero tolerance to corruption and such a strike amounts to blackmailing and arm-twisting. It cannot be tolerated by any responsible government,” the orders read.
He added that the period of absence of those who did not join duty by 2pm on Wednesday should be treated as “dies non (break in service)”.
Procedure will be followed, panel told
The decision to resume duty came after a six-member delegation of the PCS Officers’ Association met A Venu Prasad, the additional chief secretary to the chief minister, and Ravi Bhagat, the special principal secretary to the CM.
The Punjab Revenue Officers’ Association members also resumed duty.
The PCS officers withdrew their mass casual leave with immediate effect after Prasad told them that the anti-corruption drive will continue but procedures as specified under the law will be complied with.
The PCS Officers’ Association members had proceeded on a five-day casual leave on Monday to protest the arrest of the Regional Transport Authority (RTA), secretary in Ludhiana, Narinder Singh Dhaliwal, by the vigilance bureau, stating that the procedure was not followed. They also demanded immediate action against VB officials who allegedly “framed” PCS officer Tarsem Chand in a false case and a proper standard operating procedure (SOP) in matters of inquiries and registration of FIRs.
A committee will be constituted to see whether the procedure was followed in the recent cases against Dhaliwal, Tarsem Chand and naib tehsildar Sandeep Kumar.
PCS officers not workers who can form union: CS
Reiterating zero tolerance to corruption, chief secretary Janjua said in his orders: “PCS officers are not workers who can form a union and strike work under labour laws. This unauthorised absence from work and their strike is illegal. Those who do not join duty by 2pm today shall be suspended and their unauthorised absence from duty shall be treated as dies non that will result in break in service and further disciplinary action will ensue.”
Signal to IAS officers
The CM’s stern warning to PCS officers is also a signal to the IAS officers who have expressed discontent over a FIR registered by the vigilance bureau against 2008-batch IAS officer Neelima and 10 other officials for allowing transfer of an industrial plot to a real estate developer and its subsequent bifurcation and have been threatening to escalate their protest.
They are seeking immediate withdrawal of the case against her, saying that the mandatory prior approval was not taken by the VB from the competent authority under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act. A number of officers are not averse to going on mass leave if the case against their colleague was not withdrawn and some others in a meeting with the chief secretary even threatened on Monday to quit the service.
