Patna, May 27: The state human resource development (HRD) department has issued a directive that employees working at the Vikash Bhavan will have to leave the office only after HRD minister P.K. Shahi and HRD principal secretary Anjani Kumar Singh are out.

The new directive was a much-talked about issue today in the office, as the employees were seen busy discussing the ramifications of the directive.

Most of the employees came to know about the circular on Friday morning when they reached the office as the HRD directive was issued on Thursday evening.

Earlier, on Thursday evening HRD secretary S. Shiv Kumar issued a directive thought to its departments namely directorate of primary education, directorate of secondary education, directorate of higher education and others stating that it has been found that despite HRD minister and principal secretary working in the office, some officials leave office after 6pm.

The letter further stated that the employees and officials can leave office only after the minister and the principal secretary leaves the office.

HRD principal secretary Anjani Kumar Singh said: “It is just a protocol as many times we have found that while clearing some important files after 6pm there is no employee or official to assist us.”

The principal secretary also said: “It is not mandatory because if some urgent work crops up for the employee, he/she can go home after informing their higher authorities. The main idea behind the step is to develop a work culture among the officials.”

The HRD department is one of the important departments having bigger annual budget than other departments of the state government.

Moreover, chief minister Nitish Kumar has given special impetus to the department particularly to primary education and secondary education.

The Balika Cycle Yojana and Poshak Yojana were the trump cards for the Nitish government as it helped the ruling coalition secure a second consecutive victory in the Assembly polls.

Sources said in the second innings of the Nitish government too, the HRD has been given special impetus as the department is planning to make large-scale appointments of teachers at the primary level.

Singh said: “For the appointment of one lakh (appox) teachers we have issued 10 lakh forms and in such a situation it is the duty of all employees and officials to co-operate as much as possible.” However, the new diktat seems to have not gone down well with some of the employees and officials.

An employee with the HRD office on condition of anonymity said: “According to government rules and guidelines we have to work eight hours a day and we all do that.”

Another employee, who did not wish to be named, said: “Generally, when senior officials go for lunch they return to office after two to three hours. This is not the case for us.”