HYDERABAD
In an unprecedented move, a group of senior women officers in the Commercial Taxes Department have filed a written complaint against a fellow senior official holding the rank of Additional Commissioner, alleging “harassment”, “humiliation” and “use of filthy language” against them.
The complaint, according to highly placed sources, was submitted to the Commissioner of Commercial Taxes T.K. Sreedevi, days after the new Congress government came to power in December.
These women officers with the support of the Telangana Commercial Taxes Gazetted Officers Association, had presented their petition to the Commissioner to redress their “sufferings” at the hand of the said officer.
Prompted by the five-page detailed petition, which listed out specific instances of “harassment” and use of “vulgar” language against the women officers, the Commissioner constituted a three-member inquiry committee comprising three Additional Commissioners to conduct a detailed probe into the charges and submit a report.
The women officers had complained to the panel that they no longer felt “respected, safe or valued” because of the officer’s behaviour as they were subjected to “mental harassment” and “constantly bullied”.
The said officer was accused of threatening an officer of Joint Commissioner rank when a revenue discrepancy was pointed out in the statistical reports and later put obstacles in the officer’s work to project as a “non-performer”.
Some of the officers who had faced the accused senior official’s wrath had almost a nervous breakdown or a few had even contemplated ending their lives. Since the accused officer was said to be having a direct link with the top civil servant then, he had unusual powers which he took undue advantage creating a “toxic work environment”. Over a dozen senior women officers had reportedly deposed before the probe panel.
When contacted, Ms. Sreedevi admitted to have received a complaint from the lady officers and that an enquiry was ordered consequent to the written complaint received. The panel had submitted the report and made “certain suggestions to prevent recurrence of such incidents in the department.”
The accused officer had already been shifted to a “non-focal” posting where he would not have frequent interaction with the staff. A Women Grievance Redressal Committee (WGRC) was being constituted on a war footing comprising an Additional Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner, she added.
