Jharkhand refuses to accommodate transferred assembly staff

PATNA, NOV 26: The fate of over a hundred employees of the Bihar Legislative Council, who were transferred to the newly-created Jharkhand ...

PATNA, NOV 26: The fate of over a hundred employees of the Bihar Legislative Council, who were transferred to the newly-created Jharkhand assembly, hangs in balance as the Jharkhand Government refused to accomodate them.

Altogether 111 staff were transferred and relieved on November 19 by the Council Chairman, Dr Jabir Hussain, after seeking their options as per the Union and Bihar Governments’ orders, dated November 14 and November 17 respectively, on cadre transfer. The employees were asked to join the Jharkhand Assembly latest by November 21.

But the employees were denied permission to join as Assembly staff by the Jharkhand Government on the plea that there was no provision of a bicameral legislature in Jharkhand, throwing them into an uncertain future.

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The Council Chairman, Dr Jabir Hussain, has asked the Bihar Chief Secretary and Home Secretary to take up the issue with the concerned authorities.

Hussain said that he sympathised with the employees and was prepared to do everything possible at his level for the cause of the employees.

Hussain said that the transfer of 111 employees to Jharkhand was authenticated by the Director of Union Ministry of Personnel and Training, R R Prasad.

Hussain said that of the 111 employees, 30 belonged to the scheduled tribes (ST), six to scheduled castes (SC), 15 to other backward castes, ten to minorities and 50 of the general category.

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Again, out of those transferred, 48 belonged to the Jharkhand areas and hence there was a rationale behind their option to go to their native state, he said.

“To ask the tribals and minorities to get out of Jharkhand is very unfortunate,” he said adding under the Prime Minister’s 15-point Programme regular monitoring and care has to be taken for ensuring proper representation to linguistic and religious minorities in different services.

The Bihar Home Secretary, U N Panjiar, said that the Council staff were transferred to Jharkhand after seeking permission of the Centre. The State Government would approach the concerned authorities to resolve the issue.