Aizawl: Mizoram Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DP&AR) Minister K Sapdanga on Tuesday said that the government will take action and resolve the condition of over 3,300 government employees, who illegally hired proxies or substitutes when the model code of conduct is lifted.

The minister said that at least 3,365 state government employees have hired substitutes who illegally work in their place in various departments, especially in rural areas.

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Besides, there are many employees, who are being stationed in places other than their designated posting places, he said.

He said that the government faced inconvenience in many ways with the hired staffers and even if the need arises disciplinary action can’t be taken against them since they are not the actual employees.

He said that the hired proxy staffers also see confidential files, which is not functionally healthy for the government.

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“Action will be taken and the condition of all those who hired proxy staffers and those who posted in places other than their designated posting places will be resolved after lifting the model code of conduct in June,” Sapdanga said.

Soon after assuming power in December last year, the Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) government headed by Chief Minister Lalduhoma sought information on substitute employees hired by actual employees, who were asked to file reports to the government by January.

Officials said that the school education department has the highest number of substitute employees at 1,115, followed by the health and family welfare department at 624 and the power and electricity department with 253 proxies.

Of those who hired substitute employees, 2,070 govt employees said they had to do it due to health reasons, while 703 of them cited domestic problems. 

Other reasons cited by the employees for hiring proxies are absence of residential quarters, inaccessibility of the villages where they were being posted and language problems, among others. 

Mizoram has about 50,000 state government employees.