Govt offices to shift from pvt buildings by June 30

Aiming to cut on its expenses and stabilising finances, the state government has ordered the department heads to vacate offices immediately, if operational from private establishments and shift into government buildings.

The deadline for the same is June 30.

Failing to which the government will not allot budget to pay expenditures of the private buildings and respective heads will be directly liable.

In the notice(a copy of which is with the Hindustan Times) the finance department states, “No one should approach for funds after the deadline to pay the rent.”

In a letter to government department heads, deputy commissioners, registrars of Punjab and Haryana high court, the finance department has written about the expenditures over private building rents despite established mini secretariat or government buildings for the same.

The general administration department has been deputed as a nodal agency to shift all offices by coordinating with the department heads.

A senior official in SBS Nagar said, “We have no administrative complex in the district. We are facing a hard time to shift multiple offices to government buildings.”

The departments including excise, food and civil supply, mining, district public relations offices, DSP Nawanshahr, district consumer forum, district sainik welfare department, youth services department, soil conservation, district employment generation office, a co-operative society are reportedly working from private buildings.

The officer said, “We have approached deputy commissioner (DC) for some more time to shift and deputy commissioner has also assured to take up the matter with the concerned nodal agency.

The situation is same in Jalandhar, Kapurthala and Hoshiarpur districts.

“We have received the requirements for 10 -12 government department office spaces.Out of these nine have been adjusted. Since we do not have a mini secretariat complex, it has become challenging for us to provide space to all the departments,” said deputy commissioner Sonali Giri.

“We might need to buy space for 2 to 3 departments,” the deputy commissioner said.

We have received the requirements for 10 12 government department office spaces.Out of these, nine have been adjusted. Since we do not have a mini secretariat complex, it has become difficult to provide space to all departments. SONALI GIRI, deputy commissioner