PUNE, Feb 26: In his effort to discipline the administration, Divisional Commissioner Arun Bhatia has ordered departmental inquiries against 67 employees of the health department, including 45 medical officers, for not residing at places of their work.A surprise inspection of 341 primary health centres in Pune revenue division, comprising Pune, Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur and Solapur districts, which was conducted in November last year, revealed that 45 medical officers and 22 class III and IV employees were not residing at the village where primary health centres have been set up. Out of 113 medical officers, 63 MOs were not residing at the headquarters.Bhatia has also ordered blocking the salaries of 43 MOs. The inspection revealed that 453 class III and IV employees were not present during the work time. The surprise inspection also showed that record of medicine stock was not maintained properly at 59 primary health centres. After orders from Bhatia, 39 primary centres have updated the records.Meanwhile, at a press conference in Kolhapur yesterday, State Irrigation Minister Eknath Khadse said Bhatia's report into the alleged malpractices in the irrigation department will not be accepted. He said State Additional Chief Secretary Habibullah has been asked to conduct another detailed inquiry. Khadse said he was not happy with Bhatia's report as it was technically incomplete. ``Cases which took place ten years ago have been cited and certain officials who were not serving at the concerned project sites have been blamed,'' he said. The government has decided that another detailed inquiry will be carried out by Additional Chief Secretary Habibullah, added Khadse.
