Patna, Sep 27 : Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday conducted surprise checks at various ministries and found a majority of ministers and Additional Chief Secretaries (ACS) and Secretaries coming late or absent. When he reached the Education Department, he found both minister Professor Chandra Shekhar and ACS K.K. Pathak absent. Pathak however reached soon but the minister did not. Calling up the minister over phone, the CM said: "I am roaming in your department and you are not present." Nitish Kumar also visited the Industry Department and found Samir Mahaseth absent. However, the ACS of was found present. He then reached the Building Construction Department around 10 a.m. and found minister Ashok Chaudhary missing. However, the minister reached two minutes after the arrival of Nitish Kumar who said that he was late today and treated like he was absent. "We had fixed the time to reach offices at 9.30 am on every working day in 2008 but you are late today, which means absent," Nitish Kumar told Chaudhary in a lighter vein. The CM also went to the Liquor Prohibition Department and found minister Sunil Singh present in the office. However, in the agriculture Department, minister Kumar Sarvajeet was absent from the office and the secretaries were also not present. During the surprise inspection, Nitish Kumar was accompanied by Chief Secretary to CM Dipak Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary S. Sidhartha, Patna Divisional Commissioner Kumar Ravi and other senior officers. /IANS