Frightening situation: Vijayan alleges political transfers, harassment of Kerala govt employees
CPI(M) leaders Pinarayi Vijayan and MV Govindan accused the Kerala government and ruling-front organisations of politically motivated employee transfers, harassment and anti-employee policies. They cited the death of a Kasaragod clerk and a doctor’s alleged heart attack, demanding government intervention
Thiruvananthapuram: Leader of Opposition in Kerala Assembly Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday alleged that government employees in the state were facing a “frightening situation” due to the “wrongdoings” of the government and ruling-front organisations, stating that even their lives were being lost.
In a Facebook post, the CPI(M) leader said the death of Ashalatha, a senior clerk at the Kasaragod Collectorate, was shocking and alleged that the mental stress caused by a compulsory section transfer following the change of government had pushed her to take her own life.
He also referred to an incident at the Kannur Government Medical College, where senior paediatrician K V Radhamani allegedly suffered a heart attack. Vijayan alleged that the woman doctor was humiliated in front of patients by leaders of the NGO Association out of animosity for refusing to sign an illegal transfer order prepared for political purposes.
“The government should be ready to rein in such gangs operating under its protection,” he said. Vijayan alleged that mass transfers carried out without following any norms and purely for political reasons had brought the civil service to a standstill.
“The practice, which had begun even before the government assumed office, was continuing unabated. The chief minister and others are adopting a threatening approach towards employees who refused to comply with illegal activities and service organisations that raised their voices for their rights,” he alleged.
Responding to the chief minister’s statement that the previous Left government had denied benefits to government employees, Vijayan termed the claim “utterly absurd”. “LDF government had taken steps to provide employee benefits promptly despite financial constraints and had initiated the process for salary revision by appointing the 12th Pay Revision Commission. The UDF government, however, was betraying employees by taking the position that salary revision need only be carried out once in 10 years,” he alleged.
Vijayan also alleged that the government was withholding dearness allowance arrears, earned leave surrender benefits and assured pension, which he described as an “anti-employee policy”. He alleged that the government is also targeting temporary workers at the government institutions. He claimed that 2,800 employees who had worked day and night for the digital survey were dismissed in one go without being paid even their eligible salary arrears.
Vijayan said that after mass dismissals in Kudumbashree and KSRTC in the past, even teachers who had entered service through the Kerala Public Service Commission were now being dismissed. He called for strong protests against the UDF government, alleging that it was adopting a hostile attitude towards employees and humiliating and threatening them in public.
Meanwhile, CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan in a statement said the suicide of Ashalatha, a senior clerk at the Kasaragod Collectorate, was “extremely painful and shocking”. He alleged that the mental stress caused by the transfer implemented following the change in government had pushed Ashalatha to take her own life.
Govindan said the lives of government employees were being put at risk due to what he described as “inhumane actions” by organisations supporting the government and the government itself. He visited K V Radhamani, at the Pariyaram Medical College.
The CPI(M) claimed that Radhamani suffered a heart attack after she was allegedly humiliated by NGO Association leaders for refusing to sign an illegal transfer order. He alleged that persons with disabilities and employees who had only a few months left for retirement had been transferred to distant places at the direction of the organisation supporting the government.
He said transferring employees who had seriously ill family members at home and parents of children requiring special care was a “heinous” action. “Such positions taken by the Chief Minister and others must be corrected,” he said. However, there was no immediate reaction from the state government.
