In Mohali, board of doctors ready tackle poll duty excuses by govt employees
Determined to allow exemption to only genuine cases, the Mohali administration has decided to set up a board of doctors to examine the employees who come up with medical excuses
Government employees planning to approach the district administration for exemption from poll duties during Lok Sabha elections will have another thing coming.
Determined to allow exemption to only genuine cases, the administration has decided to set up a board of doctors to examine the employees who come up with medical excuses.
A day after 6,580 government employees in the district were picked for election duties, the administration on Thursday had already received 15 applications for exemption, citing multiple issues.
As of now, a few employees have sought exemption, stating they need to take care of their sick in-laws, while others have young children to look after. A few employees have shared that their spouses have also been assigned poll duties.
One of the applicants expressed discontent over being assigned a far-off polling station without food and lodging facility, leaving him worried about even having a place to take bath.
Yet more employees are expected to throw up flimsy excuses, from acidity to motion sickness, to sit out of poll duty from, said a senior administrative officer.
“Employees will bring innovative excuses to be spared from poll duty. Thus, we are geared up to tackle them. We are going to have a board of four doctors that will include the Mohali senior medical officer. Those seeking exemption for medical reasons will be examined by the doctors and the decision will be taken accordingly. In case, they are found fit by the panel, they will face strict action and may even be asked to take voluntary retirement on medical grounds,” an administrative officer said.
Meanwhile, Mohali deputy commissioner Aashika Jain said the administration will be exempting those suffering from chronic diseases and pregnant women from election duty.
“In case, someone has an emergency, like a death in the family, or if an applicant has physical disability or chronic disease, they will be exempted after check-up or verification. Those who are pregnant, but not on medical leaves and attending office regularly, will not be exempted,” DC said.
In the last general elections, the Kharar SDM had written to the department concerned, recommending voluntary retirement to a female employee at Verka Milk Plant in Mohali after she had sought exemption from election duty, citing health issues.
She had listed several ailments, including cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, poor vision, hearing impairment and a surgery for a tumour.
