Pune: NCL scientists ‘upset’ over administration’s decision to send key officials on poll duty

While all government servants are duty-bound and are mandated to join the ECI’s machinery towards smooth conduct of polls, a section of scientists have questioned the NCL administration’s intention to send such a large contingent on poll duty.

As per the records maintained by the district administration, NCL was notified about 294 staffers assigned for election duties on September 26. Soon after, NCL officials met with District Collector Naval Kishore Ram and Mahesh Awadh, additional collector and in-charge of election staff, seeking exemption from the same.

However, with the decision pending, a majority of those on poll duty did not report for the mandatory training organised by the ECI on September 28 and 29. Following this, show cause notices were issued against the errant officials by the Pune district administration in early October. NCL staffers were among the 2,773 government employees in Pune who were issued show cause notices, recently.

“We are not shying away from performing election duties. But, given the nature of chemical experiments undertaken and the equipments operating at NCL, at least officers in-charge of fire safety, security and other emergency services could have been kept off poll duty,” a scientist at NCL told The Indian Express.

Prof A K Nangia, director, NCL, confirmed that meetings to seek exclusion of some NCL staffers from the election duty was held with Pune district administration.

“Since some of our ongoing projects were nearing completion, it was not possible to spare those scientists and it was appraised to the office of district collector. Others needed to attend pre-scheduled meetings of CSIR, while a few of them sought exclusion on medical grounds. In all, about 30 to 40 staffers were exempted from poll duty. Despite facing some language constraints, our staff performed all polling duties satisfactorily,” Nangia told The Indian Express.