Swoops by the Shanxi provincial discipline body on local entertainment venues found almost 300 government officials enjoying a sauna or foot massage during working hours in the North China province.

Some 296 government officials face being punished for visiting entertainment venues during the working day, the provincial discipline inspection authorities said.

The Shanxi provincial disciplinary body and the police jointly carried out four undercover raids on almost 1,900 venues, such as tea houses, saunas and KTV bars, across the province since August, discipline officials said at a press conference on Sunday.

Among those who violated work discipline, 79 officials have already been punished, including the removal of 14 from their posts. The remaining 217 officials have yet to be dealt with according to the relevant procedures, the report said.

While the full names of those who violated work discipline were not released, the discipline body said some of them led local government departments, including the deputy head of Taiyuan land and resources bureau, the division chief of Taiyuan urban administrative and law enforcement bureau, and the vice-chairperson of the top political advisory body in Lingchuan County.

In a single undercover operation in Xinzhou City, six officials were discovered to have used government cars to go to the sauna or have a foot massage on the afternoon of August 20, Shanxi Daily reported on August 24.

Among them, three were dismissed from their posts, including secretary-general of Xinfu District Party committee Bai Wei, director of the city's work safety and emergency aid center Qu Jinzhang, and a senior official of Xinzhou grain bureau, Zhang Gengsheng, the report said.

Three others received administrative punishments, according to the report.

"Those officials had little sense of responsibility, but were keen to pursue enjoyment," Wei Hongping, a senior official of the Shanxi provincial commission for discipline inspection who oversaw the undercover operations, told China Daily on Monday.

"The efficient management of public servants and supervision of their work was lacking, with some senior officials turning a blind eye to their absence," Wei said, adding it harms the government's credibility.

To further enhance work discipline and crack down on officials abusing their positions, the Shanxi provincial commission for discipline inspection issued an announcement outlining plans to strengthen its effort.

The announcement forbids officials from being absent without leave, playing cards or computer games at work, or visiting entertainment venues and gambling during working hours.

Those who are derelict in fulfilling their duties will be dismissed from their posts, it said.

(China Daily September 14, 2010)