Chandigarh, March 4 — The Punjab government has issued a final warning to striking revenue officers, directing them to return to work by 5 p.m. on Wednesday or face suspension.
The notice, sent by Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue), comes after Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann criticized the tehsildars’ strike, calling it an attempt to shield “corrupt colleagues.”
The officers have been on mass casual leave until Friday, protesting Vigilance Bureau actions against some of their members.
Mann reaffirmed his government’s zero-tolerance policy on corruption, stating that alternative arrangements were in place to prevent disruptions.
“Tehsil offices will remain functional as other officers have been assigned duties. The public should not suffer due to their so-called collective holiday,” he said.
The chief minister personally inspected tehsil offices in Kharar and Fatehgarh Sahib to assess the situation.
Meanwhile, kanungos and PCS officers were deployed to handle administrative work.
The government’s warning letter accused revenue officers of using mass leave as a pressure tactic, calling it “blackmail and arm-twisting” that would not be tolerated.
It also specified that failure to comply would result in suspension, with unauthorised absence treated as dies non, leading to a break in service.
Further disciplinary action under the Punjab Civil Services (Punishment & Appeal) Rules, 1970, was also warned.
Probationary officers involved in the protest risk termination, the letter added.
