Panjab University assistant took 940 leaves in 3 years

CHANDIGARH: A senior assistant at Panjab University was absent from work for 940 days in the last three years, without any intimation to the department.
Hem Lata, posted in the department of commerce at the University School of Open Learning (USOL), allegedly availed those leaves without pay stretched over months, without informing anyone.
As per a report prepared on her by the department, she was absent from work for 940 days out of total 1,170 working days. The report was for the period between January 2016 and March 2019.
At one point, report stated: "Hem Lata was absent from duty from January 4, 2016 without any intimation to the office and she submitted her joining mentioning leave without pay up to April 8, 2016. She again went on leave from May 23, 2016 to May 31, 2016. She joined on June 1, but went on leave again from June 15 to July 18. She joined on July 19."
In another para, the report stated that Hem Lata applied leave for child care, but she failed to submit the date sheet of her ward, following which her leave was cancelled.
Due for promotion, the department was asked to submit Hem Lata's annual confidential report (ACR), as the same had not been be submitted since 2015, because she did not fill her part allegedly due to her repeated absence from work.
In the three ACRs on her, prepared by the chairperson of USOL, the remarks of "below average" were given for all the four years. The department said: "She is very much irregular towards her duties. She was advised time to time to be punctual. The office has also become helpless in preparing her salary because most of the time, she was on leave without pay and it became very difficult to decide her leave and the kind of action to be taken for her leave."
The chairperson wrote in her remarks that Hem Lata regularly remained absent from duty. "Therefore, she is not worthy of any good credentials."
In her reply, Hem Lata called all the allegations baseless. "The remarks given in the letter are totally vague and not worthy of responding. Vague allegations cannot sustain in the eyes of the law. It is clear that some authorities are inimical towards me and I am being harassed," she said.
Based on the case, the vice-chancellor "allowed to keep the name of Hem Lata pending for promotion as officiating superintendent till she earns blemish-free ACR".
The VC also allowed to allocate the slot kept reserved for her to the next eligible person below her name in the order of seniority-cum-merit.
The matter, listed for information in Syndicate agenda, may be raised in the Syndicate meeting on July 30 if it interests any syndic.