JKS seeks justice for Cooperative bank employee, stages indefinite Dharna

MUKESH SHARMA;Kalimpong, August 31: The Janmukti Karmachari Sangathan (JKS) Kalimpong Sub division Committee staged indefinite Dharna commencing from yesterday in front of the Cooperative bank due to which the bank remained closed further paralyzing the banks services.

 It may be recalled that few days before, the Janmukti Karmachari Sangathan (JKS) Kalimpong Sub division Committee, had cautioned of an infinite dharna if justice is not done to one of the employees. 

As per the incident, one Lakshmi Prasad Mukhia, a junior officer at the Darjeeling Branch Cooperative Bank was suspended on the grounds of irregularity on May 23, 2006. Following the same, the Bank formed a Committee Board under the lead of Retd officer, JP Yadav as per which last year, the charges was marked baseless and Mukhia was requested on January 19, 2012 to join back to work.

 Until now everything was fine, however, after the implementation of the West Bengal Cooperative Act & rules the Committee/ Board was dissolved resulting in the loss of power of the special officer. 

The said officer had before not accepting the verification report of the Board had dismissed it and had requested PC Bhattacharya, an advocate of the Kolkata High Court to once again verify the Committee’s report.

 The latter report by Bhattacharya proved the charges as correct and Mukhia was terminated vide Memo no 339/2012-13/DDCCB dated 23.07.2012. Hence, the JKS raising their concern over the issue had totally voiced against it and had forwarded a memorandum to the special officer of the Cooperative Bank asking various questions and had not accepted the dismissal order and had also requested the bank to re-instate Mukhia in the normal service of the bank taking into the humanitarian approach of the fact that Mukhia is retiring from September 01, 2012.