Badal orders probe on govt employees settled abroad

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal ordered a detailed vigilance enquiry into the matter of State Government employees, who have taken up permanent resident status in different foreign countries in violation of existing government rules.
Disclosing this here today, a spokesperson of the Chief Minister's Office said that Badal directed the Chief Secretary to get the enquiry conducted and identify all those employees who had acquired permanent resident visas or green cards or immigrant status in contravention of service rules and submit a report within two months.
Prima facie, this was a serious misconduct on the part of government employees, the spokesperson added.

Badal has asked the Chief Secretary to issue instructions to all Financial Commissioners/Principal Secretaries to ensure that the respective Chief Vigilance Officers of all departments, corporations or boards should assist the vigilance bureau in conducting the enquiry expeditiously by furnishing detailed information sought by it.
He also ordered the vigilance bureau to conduct a detailed inquiry within two months in the case regarding alleged involvement of some government officers in commercial activities of a Society in Amritsar.
The Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT), Chandigarh and Debt Recovery Appellate Tribunal (DRAT) New Delhi have recently passed orders for recovery of Rs 21.80 crore from the 'Sherwood Officers' Society (Regd)'.

The society has been allegedly promoted by some officers of the state government who were founding members and office bearers of the society, the spokesman said.
The DRT and DRAT have made critical remarks on the activities of the founding members of the society and have also asked the state government to take action against these officers, he said, adding that these authorities have also received a complaint of collecting money without allotment of plots.