CHANDIGARH: Now, bureaucrats and officials in Himachal Pradesh who do not attend telephone calls by legislators could come under scrutiny.
The Himachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania took cognisance of officials increasingly avoiding the telephone calls of elected representatives.
This behaviour, considered arbitrary and serious, prompted Pathania to demand accountability from those in charge.
The matter was raised by Congress MLA from Gagret in Una district, Rakesh Kalia, during the Question Hour.
He expressed concern over certain officials not responding to calls about public work or returning them.
He said the telephone allowance being given by the government to officers should be stopped, as they do not take calls even from MLAs, who are public representatives. He asked him to submit the names of such officials, so that action can be initiated against them under the Assembly rules.
Urging the Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to take stern action against such officers, Kalia said, "Kindly pull up officials who refuse to take calls even by MLAs, who wish to raise public issues, which is their duty towards their constituents.’’
Kalia said that if this indifferent attitude of the officers continues, he would bring 200 people and hold a dharna against such officials here in the State capital.
Kalia's concerns were echoed by legislators across party lines, spotlighting a bureaucratic negligence trend.
Interestingly, in the past, even ministers have expressed resentment over the 'unresponsive' attitude of senior bureaucrats.