NEW DELHI: PWD minister Parvesh Verma on Friday vowed action against lethargic officials in the department, stating that they had become “thick-skinned” in the past 10 years and will be made to sweat in the field to burn their fat.
After field visits, the PWD minister ordered suspension of an executive engineer over poor desilting of a drain in Akshardham area.
Verma’s stern warning to officials came a day after Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta wrote to Chief Secretary Dharmendra over Delhi government officials allegedly not responding to letters, phone calls or messages by MLAs.
Speaking to the media on Friday, the PWD minister said, “There are problems everywhere. But we are determined to work hard and get officials to do their jobs.”
“It is the PWD’s job to clean drains, but it is being completely neglected. So, I have ordered the suspension of an Executive Engineer here. All officers have been clearly told that if they do not work properly, action will be taken. We can’t leave Delhi, the capital, in such a state.”
Executive Engineer Ramashish Singh, who was posted under the East Road Division in the Akshardham Flyover area, has been suspended.
‘System broken in last 10 years’
The PWD minister alleged the entire system in Delhi had been broken down in the last 10 years. Asserting that the newly-appointed government was not shying away from hard work and was out on the ground, Verma said, strict instructions had been issued to government officials that negligence would not be tolerated.
“There are several issues. We, too, have decided that we will not shy away from hard work. We will make these officers work. The entire system in Delhi had broken down, and it was almost on the brink of collapse. For those who have not worked for the last 10 years, we will make sure all such officers work,” Verma fired.
Assuring that persistent issues would be resolved, Verma claimed broad systemic changes would come about in the capital. He said government officials who have become “thick-skinned” would be made to work on the ground.
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Responding to the development, former chief minister and PWD minister Atishi defended government officials saying, “The PWD minister is saying wrong things about Delhi government officers... These same officers have worked in Delhi even under adverse circumstances in the last 10 years.”