The Union government’s decision to shut down the Salt Department’s regional office here has reached its final stage with a three-member team from Chennai arriving on Tuesday to initiate the closing process.
The staff members, under the banner of the Coordination Committee of Central Government Employees, staged a protest during the day against the decision and demanded its “immediate withdrawal”.
Alleging that consumers in Bengal would suffer, committee general secretary Pijush Roy said: “Not only will the people of our State suffer due to the decision, but the existing employees of the Kolkata office will also face an adverse situation.”
At present, there were nine staff members in the Kolkata office.
Apart from the staff members, the decision would leave more than 5,000 workers of the industry in Bengal and Odisha with an uncertain future, he added.
Quality control
The regional office here is responsible for quality monitoring (mainly assuring proper iodine content in salt) and labour welfare of the industry in Bengal and Odisha. At present, the Salt Department’s jurisdiction is divided into five regions namely Chennai, Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Kolkata.
In an order dated August 8, 2016, the Centre had declared its decision to close down the regional office in Kolkata along with four salt testing laboratories in Bengal and Odisha.
Justifying its decision, the Centre cited a report of the National Productivity Council (2015) which recommended “restructuring of the Salt Commissioner’s Office including merging/closing of its offices, reduction of staff and reduction in the number of salt testing laboratories.”
In another order dated March 27, 2016, the Centre asked the staff members of the Kolkata office to draw their salaries from the circle office at Huma in Odisha.
However, according to sources in the Salt Department’s Kolkata office, “neither any new post nor any accommodation” has been created at Huma for the employees concerned.