Mizoram government has terminated 29 employees due to appointing a proxy to perform their official work illegally, Personnel and Administrative Reforms Minister K Sapdanga had told the state assembly on Tuesday. It is done in a larger crackdown directed by Chief Minister Lalduhoma to remove the old tradition in government departments.
As Sapdanga says, 37 people, who were caught breaking service regulations through hiring substitutes, were subject to disciplinary action. Out of them 29 were dismissed in service, and the number of others sentenced to slight penalties was eight. The disciplinary actions have also been listed on the Annual Confidential Reports (ACRs) of the employees that may have an impact on their future career opportunities.
The scope of the so-called proxy culture also became evident after a government order that was issued in December 2023. The Zoram People movement (ZPM) government that took power then ordered that all the employees who work with substitutes should voluntarily report to their departmental heads before January 2024.
Indeed, the official records have shown that over 3,600 government workers confessed to hiring proxy employees. The School Education Department has recorded the highest cases of such at 1, 115 then the Health Department and the Power and Electricity Department.
Health conditions, family related issues, absence of residential amenities in the rural areas, distance to the postings and language barrier were areas quoted by many employees on why they employed substitutes. In June 2024, the government directed all such workers to report to their respective places of work within a period of 45 days. The authorities then said that no new cases were reported following the directive, which meant a stricter application of service norms.
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