Nagpur: Amidst raging coal scams and cancellation of allocation of 214 coal blocks by Supreme Court, a vociferous demand for privatization of Coal India Limited (CIL) is being raised at various levels except the unions. The only reason for privatization demand is that the officials and employees bunk the responsibilities assigned to them and the fallout is: The target is never achieved. In question are the affairs of Western Coalfields Limited (WCL), an important subsidiary of Coal India. Large scale abstention resorted by officials and employees is resulting in crippling of the work at sub-area level to Headquarters of WCL since years. However, one responsibility the babus are carrying out ‘honestly’ is draw the salary and other perks regularly. Because of such shabby affairs being run in WCL, the Coal India is taking a hit in terms of production and the target. And then there is demand for privatization of CIL. The raising of such demand, it seems, is just.
The WCL’s Sillewada Sub-Area comes under Nagpur General Manager’s office and the Regional Workshop of WCL is based in Chankapur. Around 150-200 officials and employees have been deployed at this workshop, at least on paper. Out of this staff, it is being observed, 25-30 employees complete the morning process of punching card thereby registering their presence in their respective departments but ‘vanish’ within minutes. These employees depart for their other destinations of other benefits and then return to their departments in the evening, again to punch the duty card in a show of completing their duties in WCL. These 25-30 employees cannot ‘dare’ to bunk their responsibilities in WCL without the blessings of some officials, the so-called office-bearers of unions and local political leaders, said the sources.
Sources further said, the ‘blessing’ officials, from workshop chief to office of General Manager, are also ‘blessed’ in various forms by these 25-30 ‘privileged’ employees. If sources are to be believed, some welders-turners of the workshop even do not show their faces for 3-4 months together but draw full salaries by submitting Mayo-GMCH certificates. The same situation prevails in Sillewada Sub-Area Office and Nagpur-based WCL General Manager’s office. All these dubious activities go on under the very nose of WCL Headquarters but are overlooked ‘conveniently.’ The Vigilance Department of WCL is also ‘flexible’ on its part, revealed the sources.
Interestingly, except for WCL’s Survey, Mining and Geology departments, the officials-employees in the rest of departments are working for 5-6 days in a month since years. This ‘fruitful’ situation is proving blessing in disguise for several employees venture out for rest of the days and explore other ‘beneficial’ work. In sum, this and other such dubious reasons forced the Central Government to hand over many Coal India works to private hands. If the situation prevails for long the day is not far away when the privatization of Coal India Limited will be in the headlines.
Rajeev Ranjan Kushwaha ( rajeev.nagpurtoday@gmail.com )
