'Suspend officers who don't join by 2pm': Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann declares PCS officers’ strike illegal

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday warned the Punjab Civil Service (PCS) officers, who are on mass leave to protest the "illegal" arrest of their colleague. In strict written orders, the Chief Minister said that all such officers who do not resume duty by 2 pm on Wednesday will be suspended.

Such a strike amounts to blackmailing and arm twisting, he said. He also added, "no one will be spared in the case of corruption, be it a minister, a sentry or any of my relatives...every penny of the public will be accounted for."

“It has been brought to my notice that some officers are not attending duty in the garb of some strike. They are protesting against the strong action taken by the government against corrupt officers,” Mann said in a tweet.

“Let this be very clear to everyone that this government has zero tolerance to corruption. Such a strike amounts to blackmailing and arm twisting. It cannot be tolerated by any responsible government,” he said, adding, “Therefore, you are hereby directed to declare the strike illegal. Suspend all such officers who do not join by 2 pm today i.e. 11.01.2023. Those who do not join by 2 pm, their period of absence should be treated as dies non.”

Mann's warning came after services at administrative offices in the state were hit as the officers went on five-day mass casual leave beginning Monday to protest the arrest of PCS officer Narinder Singh Dhaliwal in Ludhiana by the state vigilance bureau.

Dhaliwal, who was posted as regional transport authority in Ludhiana, was arrested on Friday last by the vigilance bureau for allegedly taking bribes from transporters for sparing them challans for offending vehicles, the bureau had said.

"The PCS officer has been arrested illegally, wrongfully and arbitrarily and without due procedure," the PCS officers' association had claimed.

(With inputs from PTI)

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