Poonch, April 18 -- As many as 172 government employees were found absent during surprise inspections ordered by the District Magistrate in Poonch district, officials said on Saturday.

An official told news agency Kashmir News Service (KNS) special teams constituted by the administration conducted raids across various offices, including at the district headquarters, to check absenteeism and enforce discipline. The absent employees were marked without authorisation, he said.

The official said that show-cause notices have been issued to all absentee employees, seeking explanations before any disciplinary action is initiated.

All Drawing and Disbursing Officers (DDOs) have been instructed to withhold the salaries of those found absent unt...