Stunned by an order issued by an executive engineer in which he asked all the officers and employees to bring two fistfuls of rice from their homes to be offered in a particular temple to seek divine justice in a case of missing service book, the Public Works Department (PWD) of Uttarakhand has sought explanation from the executive engineer concerned in question. In his order, the PWD HoD Rajesh Chandra has directed the executive engineer of National Highways (NH) division, Lohaghat, Champawat, Ashutosh Kumar to submit his explanation within three days, on the strange order issued by him.
In an order dated May 15, 2025, Kumar had asked all the employees of his office to carry two fistfuls of rice from their homes and place them in a temple in order to solicit divine justice in the case involving the missing service book of additional assistant engineer Jai Prakash.
He stated that the service book is missing from the almirah of the office assistant. Kumar had said that all the efforts to find the missing service book have failed due to which both the office assistant and the AAE Jai Prakash are suffering from mental stress. “In this situation, an idea of seeking divine justice cropped up. All are requested to bring two fistfuls of rice from their homes and deposit them in the office on May 17, 2025 so that the problem is solved,’’ he stated in the order.
The order seeking divine intervention to find the missing service book became a talking point in the State administration and the general public. The copy of the order also got circulated on social media platforms with users lampooning the officer and the department for showing faith in the archaic practice instead of registering a complaint with the local police.
The superstitious officer however has now been asked to explain things by the HoD of State PWD. It is pertinent to mention here that practices considered superstitious officially are part of routine life, followed even by officials in Devbhoomi Uttarakhand.
