Chandrapur: With complaints of sexual harassment from three female employees at Western Coalfields Limited (WCL), the Chandrapur area stands without resolving – two of them for more than a year – Mla Pratibha Dhanorgar has warned to take problems in the State Assembly if management fails to act in two weeks.
Although there were writing complaints by survivors in all three cases, officials established an Investigation Committee of the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), which was mandatory for the dismissal of complaints of sexual harassment at work.
KK Singh, the leader of the National Trade Union (Inuc) Congress in WCl Chandrapur who has supported the survivors, shares a copy of the complaint with TOI.
A clerical employee who works in the WCl Lalpeth sub-area allegedly harassed sexually by his manager Dragon Shankar Rao for more than two years.
In his complaint, employees have collected his boss to send unsolicited text messages on WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, commenting on his appearance, calling him often to his cabin and making him sit in front of him for hours.
When he refused to obey him, he used to shout at him, complaints added.
He also accused him of embarrassing him in an unpleasant and threatening way “throwing (transferring)” to a remote place so as to destroy his career.
Complaints stated that Rao used to follow his house after office hours, deliberately touched it when there was nothing in the office and also checked the phone to see who he was talking to.
Added that his boss would be responsible if something unwanted happened to him, Survivor sent a complaint to the Regional General Manager (GMS) in August 2020.
Despite the seriousness of this case, then AGM Abhaschandra Singh established the Committee in investigation of one member.
Consisting of a man officer, instead of submitting this case to ICC.
Officers took a survivor statement and witness, but the latter did not know the actions taken.
“Management has not reply to my complaint and this problem has been pressed,” the complainant told toi.
Other employees of the Rayyatwari sub-region have filed a complaint of sexual harassment to Sn Ojha’s senior officer in April 2020.
He stated that he used to make a sick claim and talk to him in obscene language.
The complaint described Ojha’s comments on the clothes, body, and sexual life that survived, and how he was mentally harassed at work.
Employees demand to transfer to Nagpur to escape from torture.
A single member committee of a female officer conducted an investigation, but no results reported to Intu.
“Survivors were transferred to Nagpur and the case was pressed,” said KK Singh.
But other employees of the Padmapur Sub-Area filed a complaint on April 1, 2021, accusing the elderly and co-worker of exploitation, public insults and mental torture.
There is no management starting every question or forward the case to ICC.
Dhanorgar said he took all three cases with AGM Muhammad Sabir, who convinced to solve it in 15 days.
Sabir, who was on leave, said he had instructed officials to collect details of each case, and that he would review complaints and issue the right direction to return.
3 Sexual Harassment Cases Waiting for Probes at Chanda WCl
