Rishi Raj Bhati, the official who was ‘relieved’ by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) as the Director of Public Relations (PR) on grounds of his ‘disability’, has refused to rejoin the organisation despite the authority tendering an apology and asking him to rejoin twice.
“In their second letter dated January 16, 2017, the DDA has once again requested me to rejoin as Director (PR). The DDA has also regretted the inconvenience caused,” Mr. Bhati said.
To stay with Delhi Transco
“Since the entire episode has gravely caused hurt to me and I do not have faith in the policies of the DDA, I turned down their request to rejoin and decided to stay back with Delhi Transco Limited,” the official said.
Mr. Bhati, who was working in the PR Department of the Delhi Transco Limited (DTL), had taken charge as Director (PR) of the DDA on January 10. However, he was repatriated to his parent department within 48 hours of his joining allegedly because of his disability.
The relieving letter handed over to him on January 11 read: “continuance of Mr. Bhati to the post may put him in probable inconvenience and may not be in the interest of the DDA also [sic]”.
“The post of Director (PR) in the DDA involves field workand extensive outdoor activity and duties[sic],” the letter added.
The DDA’s letter led to an outcry and a protest by disability rights activists outside its headquarters. Facing flak, the DDA asked Mr. Bhati to rejoin duty within 15 days “if he so wishes”.
Repeated apology
On Monday, the DDA once again wrote to Mr. Bhati, requesting him to join. “The DDA again very sincerely regrets any inconvenience caused to you in this matter and requests you to join the DDA as Director (PR). Kindly intimate your date of joining to the DDA”, the letter read.
Mr. Bhati said that though the DDA has tried to “undo the grievous hurt caused to him mentally”, the first letter sent by the DDA where it had said that relieving was done with mutual consent had a rather opposite effect.
