Min slams inaction of Chief Secy over sexual misconduct report
New Delhi: Delhi Health minister Saurabh Bharadwaj voiced his displeasure regarding the apparent inaction of Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar in response to a sensitive case of sexual misconduct reported at Burari Hospital.
Bharadwaj expressed deep concern over the delayed submission of an Action Taken Report (ATR) even after 24 hours since the matter was brought to the chief secretary’s attention.
The incident at Burari Hospital involved allegations of sexual harassment by female workers against their manager, prompting the need for immediate government intervention.
Bharadwaj remarked, “This is very unfortunate that even in the case of such high sensitivity where allegations have been levelled by the women workers against their manager about seeking sexual favours, the chief secretary chose not to respond to the urgent note sent to him.”
He added, “One can imagine how the elected government functions and how will the safety of women be ensured when the chief secretary doesn’t act on an urgent note. This is when so much hue and cry has been created by the Delhi unit of BJP in this particular incident. Will BJP now demand action against the Chief Secretary?”
The minister explained the attempts made to communicate the urgency of the matter, stating, “Yesterday the dark-rider (messenger) was sent along with the urgent UO note to the residence of chief secretary Naresh Kumar. However, the staff at the residence of Kumar did not accept the UO note, saying that they have instructions not to accept any note. After that, the note was sent to the chief secretary through e-mail ID and the note also was physically delivered at the residence of chief secretary Naresh Kumar this morning.”
Highlighting a broader concern, Bharadwaj pointed out the implications of the recent amendment in the GNCTD Act by the Central Government. He emphasized, “After the recent amendment in the GNCTD Act by the Central Government, there is no control of the elected Delhi Government on the officers. The officers are only accountable to the L-G. Whenever any untoward incident occurs, questions are asked from the elected government, however, all the control over the officers lies with the L-G.”
As the matter unfolds, the public awaits further developments and actions
taken to address the serious allegations and the perceived administrative challenges in the wake of the recent legislative changes.
