Imphal, May 11: The advent of the computer in government offices of Manipur brought with it Solitaire and threw work out of the window, or so it seems.

Not that the multifaceted computer is the only problem. If the PC version of Patience becomes monotonous, there are real card games to play and real money to gamble with, all at the expense of work.

From playing computer games and Ludo to gambling and consuming liquor, everything is “legal” in government offices across the state.

It has been so for the past several years, though the same system has also thrown up a crusader in Kangujam Madhumangal Singh.

Kangujam is president of the Joint Administrative Council, a federation of various unions of government employees that has now taken up moral policing.

“Enough is enough. We are cracking the whip on our members and have made it very clear that they should stop all these activities,” he said.

The council circulated a notice among all member employees recently, asking them to “stop taking bribes, playing ludo or gambling and drinking while they are on duty”.

The notice said these activities had not only hampered work, but also tarnished the image of the entire government workforce.

So, has anybody taken heed?

“We will see to it that they (the employees) do,” Kangujam said.

“The main idea is to restore a semblance of work culture in government departments. I have been doing the rounds of offices and discovered that the environment stinks. We need a proper work culture if we are to move ahead.”

There are nearly 70,000 government employees in Manipur.

An IAS officer said errant employees had become more daring because of political patronage. “We cannot take action against them because of their political mentors. If the JAC leaders are serious about doing what they have been saying, the atmosphere in offices will definitely change for the better.”