If it’s a Sunday and if it’s the II Corps, you work behind locked doors but loosen the pursestrings.For defying the no-work-on-Sunday order of Corps Commander Lt Gen G D Singh — first reported by The Indian Express — the strike corps’ formations, stretching from Meerut to Delhi to the home base in Ambala, have already coughed up Rs 1.5 lakh as penalty.Meerut has paid Rs 110,000 for its “sacrilege” while a Delhi-based formation has deposited Rs 5,000 as fine with the Corps headquarters. Rs 10,000 more as penalty is due. Ambala units will be poorer by Rs 30,000-40,000.The joke in Army circles is that if the country decides to go to war on a Sunday, the enemy needn’t worry about the II Corps. Because, going by its General’s order, they simply relax on Sundays.In his letter to all II Strike Corps formations based in Meerut, New Delhi, Ambala, Chandigarh and Patiala, Gen Singh directed that there will be no work on Sundays. Those who do can pay a fine.Many who have to clear pressing matters have already started working behind locked doors. The penalty money is being deposited in the Corps fund for the welfare of officers and men. Those familiar with General Singh’s style of functioning say he had implemented similar orders in his previous posting as Commander of 31 Armoured Division.Even the idea of ‘‘no sirring in uniform,’’ they say, first came from the then Army chief General K Sundarji who wanted his men to call him General and not Sir.General Singh’s code, delivered to formations in September, also mandates that all ‘‘administrative duties’’ be done only on Saturdays and there would be ‘‘no working party’’ until 1.30 pm on working days. In short, if an officer has to move house, he can only do it on a Saturday. If he moves on a Sunday, he will be reported.When the Army’s comments were sought, a spokesperson in Delhi said it was routine for Sunday to be a rest day and undertaking ‘‘administrative work’’ on Saturday. He confirmed that II Corps had imposed penalties on its formations.
