U.P. PWD minister finds staffers missing from duty during surprise check

Jitin Prasad arrived in the office at 10 am and inspected the office and chambers of senior officers and engineers. To his surprise, several offices were empty while there were only a few people working in others.

LUCKNOW: Finding several staffers missing from duty during a surprise inspection at Lucknow’s public works department (PWD) headquarters on Tuesday, state’s PWD minister Jitin Prasad directed Sandeep Kumar, chief engineer (development) and head of the department, to ensure 100% attendance in the office.

The minister also expressed displeasure over lack of cleanliness and ordered concerned officials to look after sanitation. (HT PHOTO)

The minister also expressed displeasure over lack of cleanliness and ordered concerned officials to look after sanitation. He arrived in the office at 10 am and inspected the office and chambers of senior officers and engineers. To his surprise, several offices were empty while there were only a few people working in others.

Prasad also sought an explanation from Sandeep Kumar over “laxity” in the supervision of the development projects. Additionally, the minister wrote a letter to Narendra Bhusan, PWD’s principal secretary. “Laxity in the departmental works will not be tolerated at any level,” he said.

According to PWD’s spokesperson, the minister had communicated chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s order to complete all road repair works by November 15 to department officials in a review meeting held on October 28. The PWD head was asked to get the financial approval for all the repair works by October 31. The officers were also asked to submit a report of the day-to-day progress of the repair work by 5 pm on each working day as financial sanctions for making the roads pothole free is to be issued as per the progress of the repair works, added the spokesperson.