Staff of the Agriculture Department in Bidar went on mass leave and staged a protest outside the office building against Joint Director of Agriculture, Bidar, G.H. Taramani.
The employees, including Assistant Director of Agriculture of various taluks and Agriculture Officers, went on mass casual leave and gathered in front of the Agriculture Office and raised slogans against their Joint Director, demanding that she be immediately transferred.
Kalyana Karnataka Agriculture Officers Association president Shivakumar Hugge and district unit president of the State Government Employees Association Rajendrakumar Gandge said that the behaviour of the officer towards employees was autocratic.
Assistant Director for Agriculture Humnabad taluk Mallikarjun held Ms. Taramani responsible for the shortage of soyabean seeds in the raitha samparka kendras in the district during this kharif season.
Mr. Hugge said that the office worked smoothly under different Joint Directors who were posted to Bidar earlier. The officer demands employees to arrive earlier than office time and work till 8 p.m. She also threatened employees with transfers and is making adverse remarks in their service records.
Mr. Hugge said, “If the government failed to transfer Ms. Taramani from Bidar immediately, the staff of Agriculture Department across the Kalyana Karnataka region will boycott duty.”
Department employees across the region were asked to wear black ribbons to work on Friday as a sign of protest against the officer.
