Badal seeks explanation from top cops found 'absent' from duty

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today directed the state Chief Secretary and DGP to seek explanation from 18 Deputy Commissioners and 22 Senior Superintendent of Police found absent from their duties during a surprise inspection of various offices.
The inspection was made by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) on the landline numbers of the concerned DCs and SSPs during the office hours between 9:20 am and 10 am on Monday last, a spokesman said.
He said Badal took a serious note of growing tendency among several officers to operate from the camp office at their residences due to which people coming from far off places have to face a lot of inconvenience.

Issuing a strict warning to the erring officials, the CM asked them to function from their offices from 9 am to 5 pm on all working days to ensure prompt and hassle-free delivery of services to public. A notification to this effect was also issued by the state government recently.
The DCs who were absent from their duty included those of Amritsar, Barnala, Fatehgarh Sahib, Faridkot, Fazilka, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Mansa, SAS Nagar, Pathankot, Patiala, Tarn Taran, Moga, Ludhiana, Sangrur and Ferozepur, he said.
Only the DCs of Ropar, SBS Nagar (Nawanshehar), Sri Muktsar Sahib and Bathinda were found present.

Similarly, baring two SSPs of Barnala and Mohali, the remaining 22 SSPs were found absent from their offices.
No one from the office staff of SSP Patiala and SSP Muktsar responded to the calls made by the CMO, he said.