Punjab PCS Group Holiday: Hours after Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann gave an ultimatum to civil service officers to either join or face suspension, the association has decided to withdraw its call for mass casual leave.
The chief minister’s stern stand came after services in state administrative offices were affected as Punjab civil service officers went on a five-day mass casual leave from Monday to protest against the arrest of PCS officer Narinder Singh Dhaliwal in Ludhiana by the State Vigilance Bureau.
As per reports, the major development came after Mann took a tough stand against the “illegal” protest of an alleged corrupt official. Also, the announcement of the PCS Association was made after a meeting with the Additional Chief Secretary of CM Mann.
Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister A Venuprasad said the PCS officers would immediately join their duties.
Venuprasad said that the meeting with the representatives of the PCS Officers Association was held in a cordial atmosphere. PCS Officers’ Association president Rajat Oberoi also said they would withdraw their call for mass casual leave.
CM Mann’s tough stance yielded results
Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Mann had warned the PCS officers, who were on mass casual leave, to return to duty by 2 pm, failing which they could be suspended.
The bureau had said that Dhaliwal, posted as Regional Transport Authority in Ludhiana, was arrested by the Vigilance Bureau on Friday for allegedly accepting bribes from transporters.
However, the Punjab Civil Services Officers’ Association had claimed, “The PCS officer has been arrested illegally, wrongfully and arbitrarily and without due process.”
(With inputs from PTI)
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