The Group D employees of Bal Bhavan here are up in arms, alleging they are being farmed out as domestic help in the households of Ministers and directors of various State boards, blaming Bal Bhavan Secretary Divya Narayanappa for the illegal practice.
Ms. Narayanappa has been with the Bal Bhavan for more than 10 years.
Probe sought
B.T. Lalitha Naik, former Minister and president of the Bal Bhavan Society Employees’ Cultural Association, demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the alleged irregularities committed by Ms. Narayanappa over the past decade.
Refuted
Ms. Narayanappa, however, rubbished these allegations saying that the association members were not interested in working and only wanted to draw their salaries.
She said that she was first posted to the Bal Bhavan in 1998.
Later, in 2008, she was again posted as Administrative Officer, a post she held till 2012, when she was promoted as Secretary.
Allegations
Addressing the media earlier in the day, the association members claimed that Ms. Narayanappa was “torturing them mentally” and accused her of misappropriation of funds by producing fake bills for projects never implemented.
Ms. Naik alleged that Ms. Narayanappa had also outsourced employees on an ad hoc basis, throwing norms to the wind.
Minister’s help
Stating that she would apprise Minister for Women and Child Welfare Umashree of these issues, she claimed that Ms. Narayanappa even assaulted an employee and filed a false complaint against her with the Cubbon Park police. The alleged victim, Lakshmamma, a Group D employee, said that Ms. Narayanappa had threatened to suspend her if she were to escalate the issue.
“We are working in fear. Even if we report to duty five minutes late, we are marked absent,” she said.
Lokayukta complaint
Ms. Naik said that even though there was a Lokayukta complaint against Ms. Narayanappa, the previous government had not taken any action against her.
“The new Congress government came to power because it assured citizens of curbing corruption.
“It must now keep its promise by taking action on officials like Ms. Narayanappa,” she said.
She said that the association would give the government 15 days to fulfil its demands, failing which it would launch an agitation.
