India News | Punjab Govt Seeks List of Employees Absent from Duty Amid Mass Leave
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. Taking note of the complaints, the Department of Personnel has asked all Administrative Secretaries and Department Heads to compile and submit the list of absentee employees to the Department of General Administration by the end of the working day
Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], August 28 (ANI): As the mass leave protest by government employees demanding the payment of overdue Dearness Allowance (DA) continues, the Punjab Government has directed all administrative secretaries and heads of departments to submit details of employees found absent from duty without authorisation, taking note of multiple complaints from members of the public over inconvenience caused in accessing services.
In an official communication issued by the Department of Personnel on Thursday, the state government said it had received complaints from various quarters that members of the public were facing inconvenience due to officials not being present at their respective government offices.
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Taking note of the complaints, the Department of Personnel has asked all Administrative Secretaries and Department Heads to compile and submit the list of absentee employees to the Department of General Administration by end of day on Thursday.
The department has further stated that necessary action would be taken against the employees concerned in accordance with the applicable service rules.
This comes after the Punjab State Secretariat in Chandigarh witnessed a complete shutdown on Thursday as government employees staged a mass leave to protest against the state government, demanding the payment of long-overdue Dearness Allowance (DA).
The protest has sparked a political standoff, with the opposition Congress slamming Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's "autocratic" approach, while the CM maintained that dialogue will only resume once the strike is called off.
Kulwant Singh, President of the Punjab Civil Secretariat (FCR office), stated that the employees are firm in their resolve.
"All staffers are on mass leave today (Thursday). A meeting with the CM is scheduled for today, and a team from Jalandhar has gone for the meeting. Punjab Govt changed the venue of the meeting suddenly because they are scared that if the meeting is held, employees will gather together," Singh said.
Expressing hope for a resolution while issuing a warning, he added, "So, our teams have gone there. We are confident that our demands will be heard and a solution will come out... If our demands are turned down, Bhagwant Mann will face a difficult time in the days to come."The protest received strong backing from the Punjab Congress.
State unit president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring condemned the Chief Minister's attitude towards the striking employees and pensioners.
Reacting to reports of the government planning punitive measures, Warring said, "This only reflects the dictatorial and autocratic way of functioning of the Chief Minister and his government. If any such action is taken against the employees, it will be the beginning of the end for his government."
Warring further termed the denial of DA a "unique case" in the country. "The protest is the employees' right and more so when their demands are genuine. It must be a unique case in the entire country that a state government is not only denying payment of the DA to the employees and pensioners but is also trying to take punitive action against them when they are raising their rightful demand," he remarked.
The Congress leader urged the CM to start negotiations, stating, "They are not your enemies, but the same people who elected your government and worked shoulder to shoulder with you all these years. Or does Mann now believe that the days of his government are numbered; hence there is no point paying them their rightful due?"
Earlier, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann addressed the situation on X, emphasising that the government is open to talks but not under the pressure of a strike.
"Employees are an important part of our family, and we are ready to listen to every legitimate concern of theirs... But dialogue and strikes cannot proceed together... The government is committed to resolving every issue, but dialogue will only take place once the strike is called off," the CM's post read. (ANI)
(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)