Don’t leave office between 3 & 5 pm: O&M officials told

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 12

The Operation and Maintenance (O&M) Committee of the Municipal Corporation has issued directions to senior officials of the department not to leave the office between 3 pm and 5 pm.

Mahesh Khanna, Chairman of O&M Committee, said, “Residents were facing inconvenience due to the non-availability of officials in the offices. There was no specific time for the field visit of officers and employees. The councilors visited the head office for redressal of their complaints regarding water and sewerage but officers told them they were in the field. We want this practice to stop.”

Khanna stated that the committee had issued directions to the department officials to visit the field in morning till lunch. After 3 pm, they should be available in the office, so that the residents and public representatives are able to meet them. “It would be compulsory for all officials, otherwise departmental action would be taken against them,” said Khanna.

The MC gets a large number of complaints regarding the choking of sewage and water contamination every day. “We have a WhatsApp group. If any officer or employee gets some urgent call from the field, then he can leave the office. But he will have to click his photograph from the spot and post it in the WhatsApp group. The decision has been taken in order to streamline the complaint redressal system,” added Khanna.

Meanwhile, Mayor Karamjit Singh Rintu conducted a meeting with officials of the Health and Operation and Maintenance (O&M) wing and took several decisions to cut the consumption of fuel on Thursday evening. The Mayor gave directions to employees to maintain log books regularly. Only drivers would drive MC vehicles and other workers would not be allowed.