Thiruvananthapuram: The dalit employee who complained of harassment at the hands of a senior IAS officer has been shifted to the chief minister’s grievances redressal cell.
The CPM-led Kerala Secretariat Employees’ Association criticised the unilateral transfer of the complainant. It demanded action against GAD Principal Secretary Biswanath Sinha who had allegedly harassed the attender.
The government sources, however, maintained that complainant had requested that he be moved out of the GAD in view of the senior officer’s harassment. Notwithstanding the government version, the association reiterated the demand for appropriate action against the officer. The officer should be held accountable for his haughty behaviour and harassment of dalit staffer.
Sources in the chief minister’s office said that the complaint against the senior officer was being examined.
In his complaint to the chief minister, Devadas had accused Sinha of making him remove food waste from his table and clean food waste from Tiffin box. The staffer who is an ITI graduate and currently doing BA in Sociology, said he cannot cope with the humiliation anymore.
Meanwhile, Sinha refuted the allegations. “As an officer I have always treated my subordinate staff with respect. As a human being I have utmost respect for all fellow beings. I don’t want to say anything more on this issue,” Sinha said and added that he had not received any intimation from the chief minister’s office or any other office seeking explanation.
The secretariat staff associations have expressed solidarity with the attender. The employees’ association leaders alleged that a section of officers treated the last grade employees with contempt.
