18 DCs, 22 SSPs in Punjab found absent from duty

Eighteen Deputy Commissioners (DCs) and 22 Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs) in Punjab were found absent from duty during a surprise inspection conducted by the Chief Minister Office (CMO).
CMO officials called up the top officers on the landline numbers in their offices during the working hours between 9:20 am and 10 am on Monday last, a spokesman said.
Taking serious note of the issue, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today directed the state Chief Secretary and DGP to seek explanation from the truant officials.
Issuing a strict warning, 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.