Punjab revenue officers also announce mass leave in support of PCS, IAS officers

Around 80 bureaucrats of Punjab met Chief Minister Punjab Bhagwant Mann personally to intervene into Vigilance Bureau’s highhandedness towards the bureaucracy, on Monday. IAS along with Revenue officers also showed their agitation while joining in five days mass casual leave. 

Yesterday, the General body of the Punjab PCS Officers’ Association announced Mass Casual Leave for Five days against Punjab Vigilance Bureau for wrongfully arresting RTA Narender Dhaliwal. 

bureaucrats are targetted illegally, wrongfully and arbitrarily and without due procedure on the basis of a mere statement of a private individual. CM Bhagwant Mann asked chief secretary to look into IAS Neelima’s case on whether permission was taken to file an FIR against her. IAS Neelima’s name came in Ex MLA Sundar Sham Arora case wherein industrial plots fraudently sold to builder. 

The PCS Association released a statement stating, “Apropos the meeting with the Honorable Chief Minister Punjab today, we would at the outset like to thank him for the very patient hearing that he gave the delegation of the Punjab Civil Service Officers Association. Never has the Chief Minister of the state shown such empathy towards the members of the cadre for their genuine demands.” PCS association placed their demands before CM stating, “However, the situation is such that the Association finds itself constrained to request the Hon’ble Chief Minister to act in the matter to: Ensure that Narinder Singh Dhaliwal is released from custody forthwith. FIR is registered against the officers of the Vigilance Bureau who framed Tarsem Chand PCS and that they are immediately arrested and placed under suspension. 

A concrete undertaking that SOP in matters of enquiries and registration of FIR’s would be prepared within a week and also a review of all Enquiries lodged by the Vigilance Bureau against all government officers irrespective of departments. A timeline regarding cancellation/quashing of the FIR against Narinder Singh Dhaliwal be given. 

It is now within the powers of the government to decide as to the date on which the PCS officers come back to their duties. On the other hand, Punjab Revenue officers’ association too has released their statement against Vigilance Bureau stating, “Today a meeting of Association was held virtually through Zoom to discuss excesses of Vigilance to implicate Administrative Officers and acting contrary to mandatory provisions of PC Act, 1988. One IAS & one PCS officer has been implicated in the FIR on pretext of inquiry without seeking prior approval from the Competent Authority.

Punjab Revenue Officers’ Association since long is asking from Vigilance Department for clear cut directions to Vigilance Bureau, but of no avail. The letter states further that it is illegal to act contrary to mandatory provisions of PC Act, 1988 and to conduct inquiry and registration of FIR without seeking prior sanction for investigation from competent authority. 

That due to irresponsible and extortionist attitude of Vigilance Bureau; Punjab Revenue Officers’ Association has decided to support PCS officers’ Association in all intent and purposes. All Revenue officers will proceed on mass leave for 5 days from 09.01.2023 to 13.01.23 in protest against inaction of Administrative Departments and against excesses of Vigilance and to represent the case of wrongly implicated officers.