New Delhi: Vice-Chairperson of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes Arun Halder on Friday denied allegations of firing all former employees to deploy his own people in the commission's West Bengal office.
When contacted, Haldar who is on a visit to the USA and will return to India in the first week of August, on whether he has closed his office he replied, "There's no question of closing the office. I've already deputed a special director only for Kolkata office. His name is Sandesh Saxena. He is already working and a new team will be appointed very soon. One investigator will join within 10 days and he is from a Bengali community and is a permanent employee. Six experts, who recently retired from the Central government will be appointed as consultants for the Kolkata office."
Responding to the complaints against him Halder said: "I've also received some information on the issue. People always object when good things are being done. The country witnessed rampant violence during the recently held panchayat elections in West Bengal and the role of the State Election Commissioner."
A senior official working in the commission, on condition of anonymity said, "The West Bengal office was closed for a couple of hours. Being a Vice Chairperson, Haldar doesn't have the authority to close an office. Although the office is open but it has become defunct," he said.
Another official said that Haldar had earlier appointed some members on his own discretion but their working style is poor compared to the standards of the commission.
The matter came to light when the general secretary of SC welfare society, Odisha wrote a letter to the President on July 10. "With a heavy heart, I am to draw your kind attention to the present chaotic and sordid affairs of NCSC State Office, Kolkata leading to its possible closure w.e.f. 10.7.2023. Such a situation caused by none other than Hon'ble Vice Chairman, NCSC Shri Arun Halder due to the reason best known to him. His recent activities proved detrimental to the interest of SC commoners in general and NCSC State Office, Kolkata in particular," his letter read.
The letter further alleged, "...one Research Officer who was handling the day-to-day affairs of NCSC Kolkata State Office most successfully in absence of regular Director past 10 years, has been transferred to NCSC Chandigarh State Office whimsically and arbitrarily. The Officer concerned belonged to the upper caste but was absolutely dedicated to the cause of SCs. He was honest, intelligent, and an upright officer. His transfer will be a great loss for SC communities living across the state of Odisha."
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"Besides the Research Officer, Hon'ble Vice Chairman also ensured the cleaning of all old staff who were working on a contractual basis thereby ensuring the non-functionality of the office. The Office is also proposed to be remained shut w.e.f. 10.7.2023 in the absence of any manpower which is not only unfortunate but also unconstitutional too and defeats the very purpose of opening regional offices across the nation where the local SCs are to approach regional offices and get justice through the persuasion of individual cases by the officers of NCSC", it read.
The President's Secretariat on July 19, 2023 in a letter to the Commission said that "Action taken on the petition may please be communicated to the petitioner only."
