No. P3NFPE-Odisha/03 - 11/2018
Dated at
Cuttack the 13th November, 2018
To
Dr. S K Kamila, IPoS
Chief Postmaster General, Odisha Circle
Bhubaneswar – 751 001
Sub:- Provision of safe / harassment free
workplaces and protection of Govt. property and lives of the employees – reg.
Respected
Sir,
This is to bring your kind notice that
due to our failure to render prompt and effective service delivery to the
members of public for hurried implementation of IT Modernization Project with
inappropriate training, inadequate hardware, improper software mounted with
shortage of manpower on one hand and absence of proper healthy, safe and
harassment free workplace as per schedule of accommodation and increasing
customers’ expectations on the other, frequent incidents of misbehaviour and
physical assault / complaints to / against our staff members by the members of
public are mushrooming day by day in several workplaces. We do regret that
while public complaints are prioritized with every promptness, the compulsions
and limitations of the staff members are grossly ignored.
As witnessed, while the issues raised
by us in connection with technology are not responded properly, building /
workplace issues are not attended to on the plea of paucity of funds. As a
result, our staff members are forced to work in unhealthy and inappropriate
workplaces with substandard furniture and without basic amenities. Many single
/ double-handed post offices have even no counters and customers are seen
gathering around the table of the SPM for their transactions which pose a
serious threat to the lives of the employees and Govt. cash and valuables.
One such unfortunate incident of
misbehaviour and physical assault did come to our notice on 10.11.2018. While
Smt. Ranjita Mishra, SPM, Kanika Rajbati SO under Cuttack City Division was
working in her office on 10.11.2018, at about 10.15 AM one reprobate slapped
her all on a sudden before she could understand anything regarding the
grievances. As we know, the fact has already been reported by the Smt. Mishra
to the local Police Station (Lalbagh Police Station) by lodging FIR against the
reprobate and also appraised to the SSPOs, Cuttack City Division.
The incident happened only due to the
absence of appropriate and standard Counter Hall / Table in the post office
which facilitated the reprobate to proceed to the table of the SPM. As reported
to this Circle Union, the said reprobate had earlier tried to snatch away the
mobile phone of the SPM, Kafla SO and misbehaved the SPM, Prajatantra SO who
are also women employees.
Kanika Rajbati SO is not the only SO
where there is no counter. Odisha Circle is full of such post offices which
need immediate attention of the respective Divisional Heads for making the same
both employee and customer friendly with proper provision of specified counters
and necessary arrangements for safe custody of cash and other valuables
including the lives of the employees. The reprobate in question is a local
inhabitant and thus Smt. Mishra is now in a state of fear psychosis that she
may be a victim on any day in a maladaptive way by the former. The incident
puts several questions on the safety and dignity of a Govt. employee while on
duty.
A safe and harassment free workplace
is every woman’s right. As we all know harassment at the workplace covers circumstances
of implied or explicit promise or threat to a woman’s employment prospects or
creation of hostile work environment or humiliating treatment. The above
unfortunate incident clearly speaks of the hostile workplace of Kanika Rajbati
SO.
Therefore, this Circle Union would
like to request your immediate kind intervention on the following aspects.
1. To
ask all the Divisional / Unit heads to locate such single / double handed post
offices which are functioning without specified designed counter(s) and without
basic amenities and to build closed counters providing all basic amenities to
make the workplace safe for the employees.
2. Not
to post women employees in such post offices which are without basic amenities
and directly exposed to public posing a threat to their dignity and safety.
3. To
ask SSPOs, Cuttack City Division to take up the issue with every seriousness
with the local police and arrange to punish the reprobate causing damage to the
dignity and social status of Smt. Mishra.
Expecting your kind immediate
intervention, Sir.
With regards.
Yours faithfully,
(BRUHASPATI SAMAL)
Circle Secretary
Copy for kind information and
necessary action to the Postmasters General, Berhampur / Sambalpur Region.
(BRUHASPATI SAMAL)
Circle Secretary
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