Chief Secretary’s Approval Must Before Summoning DCs for Meetings or Video conferences
New Protocol for Summoning Deputy Commissioners in Chandigarh
Naresh Sharma
Chandigarh, June 20 – The Punjab government has made it mandatory to obtain prior written approval from the Chief Secretary before summoning Deputy Commissioners (DCs) to Chandigarh for meetings or involving them in long video conferences. The Personnel Department has issued formal instructions regarding this to all Administrative Secretaries.
Chief Secretary’s Approval Must Before Summoning DCs
According to the official communication, it has been observed that Administrative Secretaries often call DCs to Chandigarh or engage them in prolonged video conferences, which adversely affects public service delivery and field-level monitoring. To address this concern, the Personnel Department has directed that no DC should be called for meetings or video conferences without prior written consent from the Chief Secretary, Punjab.
Submission of a Detailed Form Required
The department has also issued a prescribed form that must be filled out and submitted along with the request for approval. The form requires the following details:
Name of the Deputy Commissioner
Date and time of the proposed meeting or video conference
Purpose or objective of the interaction
Any other relevant information
This information must be sent in writing to the Chief Secretary for consideration and approval.
No Overlap with CM or CS Meetings
It has been emphasized. Administrative Secretaries must ensure the proposed meeting or video conference does not coincide with any scheduled meetings. They must avoid conflicts with the Chief Minister’s schedule. They must also ensure it does not coincide with the Chief Secretary’s meetings.
This new protocol aims to improve governance efficiency by allowing DCs to focus more on district-level responsibilities without unnecessary disruptions.
