OUR CORRESPONDENT
SIVASAGAR: Employees of the Sivasagar District Commissioner’s office on Friday staged a one-hour sit-in protest demanding an apology and clarification from Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi over his alleged misbehaviour with District Commissioner Mridul Yadav during a meeting on Thursday.
The protest was organised in response to the alleged incident at the Sukafa Conference Hall of the DC’s office on August 20. Employees led by District Administration Employees’ Association President Abtarendra Das and Secretary Jitendra Toto Mili held a meeting and adopted several resolutions condemning the alleged conduct.
As part of the protest, employees wore black headbands and observed a sit-in from noon to 1 pm, besides observing a work boycott until 5 pm. The employees’ association also decided that all staff would wear black badges while attending office until the MLA provides a clarification regarding the incident.
The association further resolved that if the MLA does not issue a positive message on social media within 72 hours from 9.30 am on Friday, employees would continue wearing black badges while discharging their official duties. It also proposed sending representations to the Chief Minister, Chief Secretary and the central committee of the District Administration Employees’ Association in Guwahati, seeking measures to prevent recurrence of such incidents.
The meeting also decided to urge the competent authorities to initiate appropriate legal action, in accordance with law, against persons who allegedly recorded and uploaded videos of the incident on social media, thereby causing injury to the dignity of the district head and a gazetted officer of the Indian Administrative Service.
Reacting to the incident, DC Mridul Yadav said that he had been discharging his duties in accordance with government policies. While differences of opinion could arise on issues, he said that misbehaviour or intimidation from an elected MLA was not expected. He also expressed concern over the alleged covert recording and subsequent dissemination of the incident through the media.
However, the DC emphasised that the administration’s foremost priority at present remains the rehabilitation and resettlement of flood-affected people.
“Financial assistance and various rehabilitation measures are already underway, and these efforts will continue,” Yadav said, urging officers and employees to work in coordination to further expedite relief, rehabilitation, and restoration activities.
The DC remarked that Sivasagar district administration has been working continuously on the ground to tackle the extensive devastation caused by the recent floods, assess damages, restore essential services, and extend assistance to affected families.
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