Daijiworld Media Network - Davanagere (SP)
Davanagere, Sep 8: A medical officer who served the health department for 27 long years and had been elevated as district-level officer, has opted to operate an auto rickshaw now, as he found it impossible to bear the harassment allegedly meted out by IAS officers.
Dr M H Raveendranath's case happens to be a classic example of harassment of efficient officers. Dr Raveendranath had been conferred with the 'best medical officer' award for the year 2009-10. However, he faced harassment from his higher officers and was suspended without proper basis. He has now been running an auto rickshaw in this city since the last four days.
On Monday September 7, Dr Raveendranath addressed a press meet where he laid bare the sufferings he has been going through. He was the Ballari district reproductive and child health officer.
"An IAS officer who was the chief executive officer of the zilla panchayat during the period 2017-19 asked me to appoint his classmate as specialist doctor under National Health Mission. After I expressed my inability to accede to his recommendation, he started to harass me. He used to serve show cause notices unnecessarily and verbally abused me at meetings. After his transfer, his successor continued with a similar attitude," he alleged.
He said that in the National Health Mission for 2019-20, he had not committed anything wrong in the e-tender process relating to outsourcing of work. "The officer kept me under suspension without reason. I approached the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal (KAT) challenging the order. The officer could not establish the charges levelled against me. Then he withdrew the suspension order and transferred me as senior medical officer of Sedam taluk hospital. But I did not take charge of that post and questioned the order of transferring me as a taluk level officer from district level, through KAT. KAT ordered me to be given a district level officer's posting, but this order has not been obeyed so far. I am on suspension since June 6, 2019 and my salary has not been paid since the last 15 months. As a last resort, I have been running an auto rickshaw to make ends meet since the last four days," Dr Raveendranath stated.
He said that he opted to operate an auto rickshaw with the purpose of keeping the people informed of the lacunae in the government's system of functioning, besides showing to the people that one can carry on with his or her life if he is prepared to work. He said he will think when he gets an order recalling him for work. He said he is getting satisfaction out of the auto driver's job and added that if he is not recalled for duty he will continue as an auto rickshaw driver. He demanded punishment to officers who have not obeyed the KAT order.