Ludhiana DC issues show-cause notices to 260 absentee employees

LUDHIANA: Deputy commissioner (DC) Pradeep Agarwal has issued show-cause notice to 260 government employees who did not join emergency duty in the district amid the Covid-19 outbreak.

These 260 employees are said to be in the education department, municipal corporation, education, DC office, cooperative societies and Greater Ludhiana Development Authority (GLADA).

According to information, a majority of these employees, including government school principals, lecturers, sector officers of MCL, registrars cooperate societies, excise officer, labour inspector, cooperative inspector, head masters and mistress, peons and sweepers, who were deployed at police stations for the distribution of ration among the poor and other emergency duties.

Instead of distributing ration material or remaining on emergency duties, these employees either remained absent from work and did not report on duty. Citing Section 57 of the Disaster Management Act which has a provision of one-year sentence or fine and Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code, which has provision of six months of prison or fine, the DC has stated that appropriate action will be taken if the reply was not found satisfactory.

DC Pradeep Agrawal said. “We are issuing show- cause notices to employees not coming for duty. Strict action will be taken against the defaulters.”