A senior official of the Central Public Works Department was on Thursday dismissed from service for unauthorised absence from duty for 25 years.
As disciplinary authority, Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu directed dismissal from service of Executive Engineer (Electrical), A.K. Verma, after the charge of wilful absence from duty against him was proven in an inquiry set up to probe the matter.
A senior Ministry official said that Mr. Verma, who had joined the CPWD as an Assistant Executive Engineer in 1980, went on Earned Leave in December 1990 and did not report to work thereafter.
Mr. Verma went on seeking extension of leave which was not sanctioned and defied directions to report to work. An inquiry was instituted against him in September 1992 for wilful absence from duty.
Due to non-cooperation of Mr. Verma with the inquiry and for other reasons, it got delayed and a fresh charge sheet was issued in 2005.
The inquiry report, establishing the charges was submitted in July 2007 and the same was accepted by the then Minister of Urban Development in August 2007. But no further action was taken in the matter.
Seeking to streamline the functioning of the CPWD and to ensure accountability, Mr. Naidu, soon after assuming office directed review of pending vigilance and disciplinary cases for expeditious action against the accused.
Verma’s case surfaced in due course and Naidu directed his dismissal from service.
The Minister has taken serious view of in-action since 2007 and directed the concerned to fix responsibility for delay in the matter.