Officers buck deputation norms in administrative posts as well

On Thursday, the UT Health Secretary, in a first-ever crackdown, ordered repatriation of 112 doctors in phases who were overstaying in Chandigarh, some even for 20 years.

A similar clean-up is required in the administration as well.

According to rules, an officer coming on deputation from Punjab and Haryana can stay up to a maximum period of three years.

The Indian Express takes a look at some of such officers, the portfolios they hold, and the period of their stay in Chandigarh. All of them came from Punjab and have been in Chandigarh since then.

KULJIT PAL SINGH MAHI

He joined the Chandigarh Administration in 2016. He was appointed as Additional Secretary (Home) initially. At present, he is serving as the Additional Deputy Commissioner after replacing Sachin Rana.

Before coming to Chandigarh, Mahi was serving as Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) in Sri Muktsar Sahib.

NAVJOT KAUR

In 2015, she came from Punjab to Chandigarh on deputation. It is 2022 now, and she is still enjoying her deputation period. Before her stint in Chandigarh, Kaur was posted as Additional Chief Administrator of GMADA in Mohali in 2012. On April 17, 2014, she was transferred as the SDM, Sardulgarh, on the directions of the Election Commission. She was to replace PCS Rajdeep Singh Brar in Sardulgarh. However, in 2015, Kaur was back on deputation in Chandigarh.

She was then given the charge of CITCO general manager, director of public relations in Chandigarh. Being in the DPR, she was known not to be media-friendly. She was later shifted and given the charge of director of social welfare, women and child development.

RAKESH KUMAR POPLI

In March 2015, the Punjab government had posted Popli as SDM, Jagraon. In 2016, he joined the Chandigarh Administration on deputation. In August 2016, the Chandigarh Administration appointed Popli as the Excise and Taxation Commissioner. Since then he has remained the Additional Excise and Taxation Commissioner and has been given charge as the Chief General Manager, CITCO, in between.

Last year when new UT Adviser came, Popli’s department was changed. At present, he is Secretary (Housing Board) and Director (Hospitality).

RUBINDERJIT SINGH BRAR

An officer of Punjab Civil Services (PCS), he was sent on deputation to Chandigarh in August 2015. He was given the charge of Director of School Education and only last year his department was changed.

In July 2014, the Punjab government had transferred Brar as the SDM, Sultanpur Lodhi.

A year later, however, he was sent on deputation to Chandigarh. It was Brar’s almost seventh year serving as the Director of School Education when the new UT Adviser took charge last year and Brar was given
the charge of CGM (CITCO) and Additional Secretary (Health).

N P SHARMA

Nineteen years ago, Sharma came on deputation from Punjab to Chandigarh as Sub- Divisional Engineer and today he is Chief Engineer (Municipal Corporation).

He came on deputation to Chandigarh in 2003 from Punjab’s PWD department. He joined the Chandigarh Administration as sub-divisional engineer in October 2003 in the office of engineering department, Chandigarh.

He was promoted as executive engineer (civil) on a regular basis in March 2006 and was retained as such on a deputation basis with the Chandigarh Administration till October 2010.

After rendering about seven years’ service as SDE and executive engineer, he was repatriated on October 20, 2010, to his parent department in Punjab, PWD B and R branch in Patiala. But he did not go and joined as superintending engineer on deputation with Punjab Small Scale Industries Corporation Limited in Chandigarh itself and remained here from October 20, 2010, till October 17, 2012.

Sharma was appointed executive engineer (civil) on a deputation basis on November 16, 2013. Before this, he was also given the additional charge of superintending engineer, construction circle-I, on October 10, 2013, Chandigarh Administration. He continued here till September 2, 2014, and after a few days, Sharma went to another department in Chandigarh itself. He was then appointed against the post of SE (B and R) on a deputation basis in the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation on August 27, 2014. He was also given the additional charge of superintending engineer (public health) by the Municipal Corporation against a vacant post on January 8, 2015.

Sharma was also given the charge of chief engineer (MC) in between when Mukesh Anand moved to the UT Administration. Sharma was also appointed as chief general manager of the Chandigarh Smart City Limited in December 2017. Last year, he was appointed as Chief Engineer (Municipal Corporation).

INDERJEET GULATI

He joined as executive engineer from Punjab and stayed here for almost nine years. Just after spending four months in his parent state last year, Gulati was back again to join as superintending engineer (B and R), Municipal Corporation.

He joined Chandigarh in 2012 after coming on deputation from Punjab. He enjoyed postings in Chandigarh Administration’s engineering wing and Municipal Corporation’s engineering wing.

In January 2021, he went back to Punjab. After four months, there were orders that he has been posted as SE (B and R), Municipal Corporation, Chandigarh.

TEJDEEP SINGH SAINI

It was in 2017 that Saini, PCS officer from Punjab, came to Chandigarh on deputation. Currently, he is SDM (Central) and Director (Sports). Before his Chandigarh stint, he was posted as SDM of Baba Bakala Sahib in Amritsar. He also served as the SDM of Ropar.