With cops present, Khemka holds meeting with HSDC union members

High drama prevailed at the office of Haryana Seeds Development Corporation (HSDC) office here on Thursday after a meeting between the employees union and the top management was held under heavy police security. Around 30-40 police personnel were deployed at the meeting after HSDC Managing Director Ashok Khema alerted the state government that he may be manhandled by union leaders at the meeting in the wake of allegations of corruption against some employees.

The meeting that that lasted for nearly two hours, however, passed off peacefully. During the meeting, the employees pressed for withdrawal of charges against some who have been accused of wrongdoings. They also demanded that no surplus staff be removed from HSDC.

On January 31, Khemka had written to Chief Secretary P K Chaudhery, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, Chattar Singh, and HSDC Chairman and Principal Secretary (Agriculture) Roshan Lal, bringing to their notice that he had information that some union leaders (of HSDC) were likely to create trouble for personal reasons.

Following Thursday's meeting, Khemka told mediapersons that after he exposed some land scams as the DG (Consolidation), there were some officers in the Chief Minister's Office who wanted to harm him. "I apprehended that there are some external elements who wanted to brow-beat me,'' he said.

He added that there were some union leaders against whom HSDC was pressing charges of corruption. "Miffed by this, they planned to create ruckus in the meeting... The leaders had also taken into confidence one minister and even gone to his house to discuss the issue," said Khemka.

Desh Raj Bhatia, general secretary of HSDC employees union, said: "The union got positive response from the management on its demands. Nearly 30-40 police personnel were deployed at the meeting."

Khemka highlights regularisation of employees, demands Vigilance probe

... contd.

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