Chief Secy directs strict action against latecomers

NEW DELHI: Cracking the whip on latecomer employees and officials, Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash has issued a direction to all heads of departments (Hods) and senior officers to conduct surprise inspections in their respective offices on a weekly basis to check punctuality of their staff.

A senior official of Delhi government said that necessary action will be taken against officials who arrive late to their respective offices.

The Chief Secretary, who is the bureaucratic head in the Delhi government, has directed all Hods that punctuality of officials should be maintained in all departments.

The move comes after it was observed that some offi- cials were coming late to their respective offices.

“The Chief Secretary has directed principal secretaries, secretaries and senior officers to undertake surprise checks in their departments’ offices on a weekly basis to check punctuality of their staff,” the senior official said.

The official added that action will be taken against those officials who are coming late to their offices.

The Chief Secretary’s office had in the past as well directed the General Administration Department to keep a watch on the attendance of officials and ensure that they mark themselves present in the biometric attendance system.

Recently, Delhi Urban development Minister Satyender Jain paid a surprise visit to the Urban Development office at 9.30 am and found that 11 officials were absent even after 10.20 am, and most of the senior officers were not present in their respective seats.

Earlier, on May 8, Jain had written a letter to the Chief Secretary, directing him to take disciplinary action against officers coming late to office, including deducting their salary.

In December last year, the Delhi government’s Women and Child Development had warned that it would deduct one casual leave (CL) for every three times an official reaches office after 9.45 am, besides seeking a written explanation from them.

The Department had said that in case of non-availability of CL in the leave account of officials concerned, EL (earned leave) will be deducted.