Retd PCS officer still calls the shots in Local Bodies Dept
Rajmeet Singh
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, January 3
A retired Punjab Civil Services (PCS) officer is still calling the shots in the Local Bodies Department.
Two weeks after accepting the resignation of the retired officer, Prem Chand, as Additional Project Director on contractual basis in the State Urban Development Authority, the Secretary of Local Bodies Department withdrew its order.
Instead of re-advertising the post of Additional Project Director that fell vacant after his resignation, the retired PCS officer was taken back on it. Interestingly, his absence period has been treated as “Leave of kind due”, which applies on regular employees.
As per the orders, his rejoining has been facilitated after the approval from the Local Bodies Minister Anil Joshi.
A senior government functionary said the officers were being re-employed on a contractual basis for administrative reasons. They are paid their last drawn salary minus the monthly pension. “Only blue-eyed officials are re-employed, others do not get such an offer,” said a retired PCS officer.
The officer after enjoying extension in service after his retirement was again re-employed on September 30, 2015, by the previous Secretary, Local Bodies, Ashok Gupta, who also retired the same day.
Sources said the “well-connected” officer, who had managed to get another one-year extension on October 4, 2016, resigned when Satish Chandra was the Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Local Bodies. On December 5, 2016, when DP Reddy was posted as Additional Chief Secretary of the department in place of Satish Chandra, the retired PCS officer while citing personal reasons for his resignation again requested the ACS to resume his duty.
In fresh orders issued on December 29, 2016, Reddy withdrew the orders dated December 15, 2016, to accept Prem Chand’s resignation.
