Punjab orders vigilance probe for immigrant staff

The Punjab government Friday ordered a vigilance probe into reports that some of its employees have migrated abroad while continuing their government jobs here.

"Taking cognizance of the reports, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has ordered a detailed vigilance inquiry into the matter of state government employees who have taken permanent resident visas, green cards, immigrant status in different foreign countries in violation of existing government rules," a spokesperson of the Chief Minister's Office said Friday.

Badal directed the chief secretary to get the vigilance enquiry conducted and identify all those state government employees who had acquired permanent resident visas, green cards or immigrant status in contravention of service rules and submit a report within two months.

The Punjab government is seeing such cases as a "serious misconduct on the part of government employees", the spokesperson said.

The chief minister asked the chief secretary to issue instructions to all financial commissioners and principal secretaries to ensure that the respective chief vigilance officers of all departments, corporations, boards assist the vigilance bureau in conducting the enquiry expeditiously by furnishing the detailed information sought by the bureau, the spokesperson said.