Govt staff protests against boss, ‘returns to work’ in the evening

CHANDIGARH: A majority of the 40-0dd employees of Haryana welfare of scheduled caste and backward classes department held protest at Chandigarh on Friday to press for transfer of newly posted director general Pradeep Kasni.

The employees remained on ‘pen-down strike’ for the second consecutive day to protest against their new boss’ alleged “misbehavior”.

They sat on a dharna outside their office in Sector 17, seeking the IAS officer’s transfer.

“He has been shouting at the staff, flinging files and even threatening to place them under suspension. We cannot function in these circumstances,” they said.

When contacted, Kasni denied the protesting employees’ charges and said the issue has been resolved. “There was some misunderstanding because I am a hard taskmaster. But I have had talks with them and the issue has been sorted out. There is no misunderstanding now. They returned to work in the evening,” he said. It is learnt that his immediate predecessor intervened and helped resolve the issue.

Kasni had also sent a report to chief secretary DS Dhesi about absenteeism.

A 1997 batch IAS officer, Kasni was posted as director general, welfare of scheduled caste and backward classes, only nine days ago.

He was posted in the finance department on September 19, but then posted as DG, welfare of SC and BC, within two days.

The transfer was his 66th in a bureaucratic career of 36 years.