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Punjab Civil Service officers stick to their stand, deadlock continues
The Punjab government held talks with the Punjab Civil Service officers, who are on mass casual leave, on Tuesday but fell short of ending their protest that has hit work in offices across the state.
The Punjab government held talks with the Punjab Civil Service (PCS) officers, who are on mass casual leave, on Tuesday but fell short of ending their protest that has hit work in offices across the state.
Chief secretary Vijay Kumar Janjua and additional chief secretary to chief minister A Venu Prasad closely monitored the situation and were in touch with the association leaders to persuade them to return to work, according to persons privy to the developments. There were signs of progress, but no breakthrough was achieved, till the time of filing this report. PCS Officers’ Association president Dr Rajat Oberoi confirmed that negotiations were held with the top brass.
“There has been some progress, and we are hopeful of finding a resolution, but the government needs to take some concrete steps. The officers will not return to work till then,” he said.
The PCS officers proceeded on a five-day casual leave on Monday to protest against the arrest of the Regional Transport Authority (RTA), secretary in Ludhiana, Narinder Singh Dhaliwal, by the vigilance bureau, stating that the procedure specified under the law was not followed. They are also demanding 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 enquiries and registration of FIRs. The top brass gave assurance to the association leaders on their demands. “We are not being inflexible and want to end this impasse at the earliest,” he said.
Janjua said he was hopeful that they would return to work soon.
Revenue officials object to ACS’ remark
Meanwhile, the Punjab Revenue Officers’ Association (PROA), which has also joined the mass casual leave protest, hardened its stance, declaring that revenue officers will not resume duties till references are sent to PPSC for nomination to PCS. The PROA executive committee, while thanking chief minister Bhagwant Mann for giving a patient hearing to PCS and revenue officers, questioned the statement of his ACS Venu Prasad in the meeting that a reference pending with the CM office regarding nomination to PCS officers from Register A-1, since a month, had been cleared, whereas in reality it was sent back with certain queries. “Revenue officers have only one promotional avenue i.e. PCS, and in the given quota of 54 posts for revenue officers in PCS, around 40 are vacant since 2016-17,” PROA president Gurdev Singh Dham said in a statement on Tuesday, claiming that the remark hurt the revenue officers.
CS to submit report today, delay irks IAS officers
Chief secretary Vijay Kumar Janjua is likely to submit his report on the VB case against IAS officer Neelima and some officials on Wednesday. The chief minister had on Monday asked the CS to check whether the prior sanction was taken by the agency from the state government before booking the public servants for allowing the bifurcation of an industrial plot in Mohali and submit his report within 24 hours.
The VB, however, did not submit the record in time, according to sources. The delay has agitated a large section of IAS officers, who will now hold a meeting on Wednesday to decide their next course of action, and started collecting money to back the 2008-batch officer in fighting the VB case in the court. Quoting the president of the Punjab IAS Officers’ Association, an IAS officer said that no meeting of the association has been called so far.
An aide of the chief minister said that the chief secretary was asked to submit the report within 24 hours. “I am sure it will come tonight,” he said. Meanwhile, the VB continues to maintain that there was no need for prior approval in the instant case and is citing a few court judgments in support. The chief minister had asked the CS to look into the matter after more than 50 IAS officers along with office bearers of the Punjab IAS Officers’ Association, met him on Monday to register their strong protest against the FIR registered against their fellow officer without following due procedure. They said that the mandatory prior approval was not taken by the VB from the competent authority under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
