New Delhi: As soon as Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta entered the ITO GST office for a surprise inspection, she started questioning the officials about attendance and punctuality.
Gupta conducted the surprise check on Wednesday, expressing displeasure over the absence of several officers and signaling strict action against negligence. She demanded a detailed attendance report and explanations from the concerned officials.
“At what time did you reach the office? Which zones fall under your responsibility? Who has been arriving late? I want a full list,” she asked the staff.
The Chief Minister also inquired about the last maintenance or repair work carried out, the upkeep of attendance records, and asked for biometric attendance data for each officer over the past month.
“I want monthly biometric attendance reports, starting from the commissioner, not just junior staff,” she added.
A short video shows Gupta touring the GST office, visiting every department, questioning officials about their arrival times, duties, and the state of office infrastructure. She inspected broken glass windows, reviewed maintenance work, and flagged a narrow, poorly maintained exit, asking staff how they would handle an emergency such as a fire.
“In case of a fire, from where will you exit?” she asked.
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Ground visits
Earlier in the day, Lt. Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu and Gupta conducted a joint inspection of the Yamuna ghats to review cleanliness, riverfront development, and floodplain restoration. The focus was on removing silt, improving infrastructure, and ensuring garbage clearance in preparation for the monsoon season.
The inspection also assesses the city’s preparedness for the upcoming summer and rainy seasons. Speaking to the media, Lt. Governor Sandhu said that it is a collective Delhi administration approach to address civic challenges in the capital.
“You can see the challenges in Delhi; everyone is aware of them. We are working with a ‘whole of Delhi administration’ approach. We have discussed with the Chief Minister, the entire cabinet, and the administration that everyone will be involved in this effort,” the LG said.
He added that the team, along with the Chief Minister, will continue to conduct such inspections to ensure proper preparations.
“We are here to assess challenges for the summer and monsoon seasons, along with issues like cleanliness. The Chief Minister and I will continue these inspections to maintain constant focus on these matters,” Sandhu added.
However, on social media, reactions were mixed. Some praised the surprise inspection and called for more such checks in government offices, while others questioned whether the visit was intended mainly for publicity.
“I hope such visits become more frequent in all departments. Government offices have developed a habit of arriving late and leaving early”, said a user on Instagram.
“She never forgets to bring a photographer/cameraman along,” one user noted.
(Edited by Ratan Priya)