M A I N   N E W S

ROPAR, Oct 8 — The report submitted by the Personnel Department of the National Fertilisers Ltd (NFL), Naya Nangal, in which it has been alleged that the service records of 41 employees were tampered with, is still awaiting action from the higher management of the company.

In the report it has been alleged that 41 employees of the Nangal unit of the NFL in connivance with officials of the Personnel Department got their date of births changed in the service records. Due to this these employees may work in the organisation for a period ranging from one year to five years beyond their due date of retirement.

The scandal, came to light in February this year when the Personnel Department forcibly retired the principal of a school run by the company on the charge that he had already stayed on past retirement as per the original entry in the service records. He was later reinstated after the internal vigilance inquiry conducted into the case exonerated him of the charges of tampering. However, after the incident the NFL management decided to scrutinise the service records of all its 2500 employees working at the Nangal Unit.

On the basis of the inquiry the Personnel Department, submitted a report alleging that the service records of 41 serving employees, had been tampered with. The report says that according to the initial entries in the service records most of the accused employees were due to retire between 1996 to 2002. However, after the changes, they would now retire from 2001 to 2009, causing a huge financial loss to the company.

Explaining the modus operandi adopted for making the changes a reliable source who spoke on the most of incidents in the present unit occurred between 1965 to 1970. As per the procedure adopted during this period, the date of birth of employee was ascertained through an attestation from submitted by him in which he declared his age. This attestation form was got verified through police inquiries and by the certification of the doctors. On the basis of these inquiries the date of birth was entered in the service record of the employee.

However, some employees later submitted the school leaving certificates showing different dates of birth and, in connivance with the authorities, got the initial entries sheets changed. The source also said in many cases the service record had been changed without the initials of or certification by the concerned official.

The department had recommended the immediate retirement of these employees. However, the NFL management, allegedly under pressure from the worker unions, is sitting on the report.

In a letter to the Personnel Department the General Manager of the Nangal unit had asked for progress on the issue. He asked the concerned authorities to fix responsibility on employees responsible for making the changes and point out, if any action had been taken against any official in such a case and if any dues of the accused employees were pending with the NFL.

Though the information asked for has been provided by the department about a month ago, no action has been taken against the erring employees.

The department officials are of the view that the management should either take action against the erring employees or should legalise the change in their service records.

W. Bengal seeks 1,487 cr relief

CALCUTTA, Oct 8 (PTI) — The West Bengal Government would demand Rs 1,487 crore from the Central Calamity Relief Fund to cope with the devastation caused by floods in the state which claimed 1187 lives so far with 103 persons still missing, state Finance Minister Asim Dasgupta said today.

Mr Dasgupta, who will leave for Delhi this evening to meet Union Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha and Agriculture Minister Nitish Kumar tomorrow, said the revised demand would be placed before them in view of the seriousness of the situation. The state government had already spent Rs 182 crore.

Mr Nitish Kumar had already assessed the state’s flood situation, Mr Dasgupta said, adding that the state government initially demanded Rs 962 crore from the Centre which was later revised to Rs 1000 crore.