Chandigarh [India], September 9 (ANI): Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa on Wednesday criticised the Punjab government’s directive warning employees against marking attendance and then remaining absent during working hours, saying employees should not be treated as “the enemy”.
The Punjab government, in an order issued by the Department of Personnel on September 8, said employees found absent from their offices during working hours after marking attendance would be treated as being on unauthorised absence. Their salary would be withheld under the principle of “No Work, No Pay”, and disciplinary action would also be initiated.
Reacting to the order in a post on X, Bajwa said the AAP government had come up with a “new threat” to Punjab’s employees in the form of salary cuts and disciplinary action.
“Finance Minister Harpal Cheema and CM Bhagwant Mann should remember: employees are not the enemy,” Bajwa said.
The @AAPPunjab government has now come up with a new threat to Punjab’s employees: “No work, no pay” with salary cuts and disciplinary action.
Finance Minister @HarpalCheema and CM @BhagwantMann should remember: employees are not the enemy.
Whatever pay or money this government… pic.twitter.com/pnJiUaSVHl
He further claimed that any pay or money withheld “unjustly” by the government would be reimbursed by the Congress government in 2027, along with legitimate arrears.
“Punjab’s employees will not be made to pay for AAP’s failures,” Bajwa said.
According to the Personnel Department order, the government had received information that many employees were marking their attendance in their respective offices and subsequently absenting themselves during working hours, causing inconvenience to the general public.
The order said such employees would be treated as being on unauthorised absence and would not be paid salary in accordance with the established principle of “No Work, No Pay”.
It also directed that appropriate disciplinary action be initiated against employees found absent from duty.
The directions have been issued to all Special Chief Secretaries, Additional Chief Secretaries, Financial Commissioners, Principal Secretaries and Administrative Secretaries of the state, with instructions to ensure strict compliance.
The order was issued with the approval of the competent authority. (ANI)
