Her VRS application turned down, IAS officer Parampal Kaur Sidhu on Wednesday threw a challenge to the AAP-led Punjab government to take whatever action it can and asserted she will contest the Lok Sabha elections.
A 2011-batch IAS officer, Sidhu, who is contesting the Bathinda parliamentary constituency on a BJP ticket, had put in her papers last month seeking voluntary retirement, also requesting that the condition of a three-month notice period be waived. Later, she joined the BJP in Delhi.
The state government rejected her request for voluntary retirement for allegedly "falsifying" her grounds and asked her to resume her duties immediately or face action.
The Centre's Department of Personnel and Training had earlier relieved her of duties after accepting her resignation.
Reacting to the state government's communication, Sidhu on Wednesday said she has already been relieved by the Centre.
She said she will submit her reply to the state government after the June 1 Lok Sabha elections in Punjab.
"They (AAP government) just want to waste my time as they are rattled," she said while talking to reporters in Bathinda.
"I can do whatever I want to do after my retirement. I have entered politics now to serve the people and my only goal is to work for Bathinda development," she said.
The Punjab government can take whatever action it wants to take, but I will not resume duties again, she asserted.
"The central government has accepted my resignation and I will contest the election from Bathinda and file my nominations soon," she added.