Punjab Jail, Tourism, Cultural Affairs and Printing & Stationary Minister Sohan Singh Thandal today conducted surprise checking at Government Printing Press, SAS Nagar to assess the activities and working of the press. During checking, one officer was found absent.The Minister accompanied by senior officers of the department reached at the printing press at 10 am. He was surprised to see that heaps of printed material in the form of booklets, pamphlets, government gazettes and published technical information, which was stocked in the press premises since long. He was apprised by the officers that different government departments had placed orders for the printing but they had not lifted the material from the press as yet. The minister instructed the officers to ask all the respective department in writing to lift their belongings at the earliest. He also sought the compliance report in this regard.
Thandal had a round of the area of the printing press, where printing machines have been installed. He found that most of the printing machines were obsolete and technically unsupportive. He directed the officers to furnish a detailed report within a week, on the possibilities of installation of new machinery in the printing press to increase the capacity and working of the press.He categorically instructed the officers and employees of the printing press to be punctual and to work with full dedication and diligence. He said that such kind of surprise checking would be continued in future also and strict action would be taken against the erring.