Karnataka Chief Secretary Kaushik Mukherjee paid a surprise visit to the Departments of Education and Agriculture at the M S Building here on Tuesday and found over 40 employees absent.
Sources told Express that around 10.30 am, Mukherjee entered the offices and found almost all the chairs empty and some cabins locked.
The employees were baffled to see the Chief Secretary in their offices. Mukherjee directed officials to issue notices to all the latecomers and also cut their day’s salary as punishment.
When contacted, the Chief Secretary confirmed the visit and said random visits would continue in the coming days.
“Government offices start at 10 am and everyone has to come on time. Now, there is no accountability and the employees come to office leisurely. It was surprising that officials of the rank of under secretaries and deputy secretaries do not come on time. If this being the case, naturally the lower rank officers follow their bosses,” he added.
Majority of the latecomers were case workers and data entry operators, he said.
“The CMwas briefed about the surprise visit and he wanted to do it regularly to overhaul the administration machinery,” the Chief Secretary said. “The present system needs angioplasty and not a bypass surgery. We are trying to do it,” he added.