‘Illegal’ transfer to Darjeeling alleged by employees’ union

SNS, Kolkata, 22 November 2013: An Opposition-led employees’ union today alleged that a member has been ‘illegally’ transferred to Darjeeling for spearheading the movement against the state government on Dearness Allowance (DA).

Mr Sandip Dasgupta, a staff of the finance department has been sent on deputation to Gorkhaland Territorial Administration in Darjeeling.

West Bengal Government Employees’ Union (Nabaparjay) said the order is uncalled for since a secretariat member is never transferred to an autonomous body.

This apart, an employee is sent on deputation only after receiving his approval, said Mr Dasgupta adding that no such initiative was taken in his case.

“The only reason behind the transfer is that Mr Dasgupta is the secretary of the anti-Trinamul Congress association that has been staging a prolonged agitation against the state government demanding payment of DA,” said a member of the association. 

Several Opposition-led unions recently staged half-an-hour demonstration on the 11th floor at Nabanna in Howrah where the finance department’s pay branch is located. 

The unions protested against the state finance minister Mr Amit Mitra’s statement in the Assembly that there was no arrears due to the employees and demanded that the minister should withdraw the comment.

THT: The Bengal government has sent a senior employee of the state finance department on deputation to Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA), where the official will have to get work certificates from GTA authorities on regular basis to get his salary. 

Sandip Dasgupta, the erstwhile head assistant with the state finance department, who also happens to be the joint secretary of the West Bengal Government Employees’ Union (Nabaparyay), will continue to draw salary from the finance department, which means that he would be denied deputation allowance. 

The audit branch of the finance department’s order bearing Number: 8383- F(H) and dated November 22, 2013 has clearly specified about payment of salaries to Dasgupta against the working certificates from the principal secretary of GTA. According to the order, the GTA principal secretary has been requested to take necessary action so that Dasgupta might join as head assistant. 

“He has also been requested to issue a working certificate in respect of Shri Dasgupta on regular basis so he is able to draw his salary,” the order read. 

The decision is being viewed as a signal from the state government to employees unions that anyone resorting to an agitation might meet the same fate. 

The Nabaparjay central organisation secretary, Arjun Sengupta, said the state government has punished Dasgupta. 

“A state employee cannot be sent on deputation unless he or she is willing to accept the same. But in Dasgupta’s case, the order was issued before he received the intimation and released from the state finance department. This is totally illegal,” Sengupta said.