GUWAHATI: The SAKP (Sadou Asam Karmachari Parishad) has sought to infuse Janata Bhawan with a sense of true work culture, and to make that really happen it wants Ministers to come to their offices as soon as the office hours start. What the Parishad wants to say is – Ministers, employees and the public need to work coherently for getting works done smoothly.
Most of the Ministers come to their offices only in the second half. Some of them come in the evening and like to work late at night when employees’ working hours over. Yet there are some other Ministers who prefer to spend most of the time in their home constituencies.
Talking to The Sentinel, SAKP president Basab Chandra Kalita said: “Of late, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made it a point that all Ministers must come to their respective offices at 9.30 am to oversee office works. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal should also implement this in Assam. When they are not in tour, let the Ministers come to office at office hours as the employees do. Like employees, Ministers are also meant to serve the public. In the absence of ministers, office works suffer much. Urgent or instant decisions can’t be taken in the absence of Ministers. Back in the day, Ministers used to attend offices from around 11 am, but that’s a history now. Some Ministers prefer to come to office in the evening and work till late at night when the duty hours of employees over.”
“People from far-off places come to Janata Bhawan to meet Ministers to get their works done, even though it is improper. In the absence of Ministers such visitors have to go back without getting their works done. This is tantamount to harassing visitors. The duty hours of employees have been extended by half-an-hour to boost work culture. And the employees have to stick to this timing. Why doesn’t the same logic apply to the ministers?” Kalita said.
A top-level officer, who wants his name not to be disclosed, said: “When a Minister is frequently out of station, we can’t hold any immediate and important discussion with him/her even when the need for such a discussion arises. Sometimes, we’ve to wait for days together for the return of the Minister. Ministers’ tours are a must. But things can be done smoothly if there’s a fixed schedule as to which days of a week a Minister will be in his/her office. In that case, adjustment can be made in sync with the schedule. What the Prime Minister has done is a good job, and the Chief Minister should follow suit.”