The Pauri district magistrate Dhiraaj Singh Garbyal has withheld one month’s salary of 17 officers for not implementing the work allotted under the priority accorded by the Chief Minister and for negligence in work during the month July.

Additionally, four officers have been asked to submit their explanation within three days. The district magistrate took this decision as the 17 officers concerned did not take their tasks seriously for the implementation of Sarkar Janata Ke Dwar as part of which they were required to visit allocated villages, spend a night there and then send their report.

The 17 officers whose one month salary has been withheld include the then sub  divisional magistrate of Pauri who is currently the Kotdwar SDM, Srinagar sub divisional magistrate, Pauri chief medical officer, horticulture expert at Kotdwar, district programme officer, district supply officer, district Gramudyog officer, executive engineer of the Peyjal Nigam’s construction division, Pauri, executive engineer of Irrigation at Dugadda, executive engineer of Public Works Department, Bajjaro, executive engineer of Peyjal Nigam construction division at Srinagar, executive engineer of Electricity at Pauri, executive engineer of PMGSY at Kotdwar, executive engineer of electricity at Kotdwar, assistant regional transport officer at Kotdwar, district project management unit of Swajal at Pauri and electricity SDO at Sunsui.

On the other hand the district magistrate has instructed four officers including Garhwal divisional forest officer, Civil Soyam divisional forest office at Pauri, Lansdowne divisional forest officer and soil conservation divisional forest officer at Lansdowne to submit their explanation within a period of three days.

It should be mentioned here that this is for the first time that the district magistrate has directed such stern action against district level officers for negligence in undertaking the work allocated to them.