Sec 18 printing press shut, staff to be shifted

Ramkrishan Upadhyay

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 11

The Centre has ordered closure of the Government Printing Press in Sector 18 here. It is one of the oldest printing presses in the region having more than 300 employees.

While the directive has made the employees anxious, the government has ordered redeployment of the existing staff to the other departments.

Jagjit Singh, Controller of the printing press, confirmed having received the direction. He said, “We are preparing the plan to redeploy the staff and dispose of the machines. The plan will be submitted to the Centre by September 30.”

Besides printing, various other related works like purchasing of stationery for departments were carried out at the press. Printing work of offices in the states of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh besides the Government of India and the Union Territory of Chandigarh was being done here on payment basis.

Stationery office deals with purchase, storage and supply of stationery items. Supply of stationery is done on allotment basis for the UT offices and on payment for other offices. Typewriter workshop of the press undertakes procurement of typewriters and duplicating machines for the UT offices and their servicing. Forms and publication section deals with arranging for printing, storage and supply of forms and registers of the UT offices free of cost. For other offices, it was done for monetary consideration.

Sources said the decision to close the printing press was taken by the Committee of Secretaries. In the order issued to the UT Adviser recently by the Ministry of Home stated that the printing press in Chandigarh, Puducherry, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu may be considered for closure.

The letter stated that in view of the above, the UT Administration was requested to take action as per the decision taken by the Committee of Secretaries and send a detailed report on redeployment of the staff of the press along with the status of the disposal of machines and usage of the building.