Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, Jan 20: Two women lecturers of an engineering college at Nayapalli have blamed the management for gender discrimination. They alleged they were laid off by the college in October, 2014 without showing any reason and without paying compensation.
Seshuchandra Jena, a resident of Nayapalli, joined Ganesh Institute of Engineering and Technology (GIET) in 2010 while her friend Suryaprabha Biswal, a resident of Sailashree Vihar, a year later.
According to Jena, the duo found the remark ‘discontinued’ against their names in the attendance register. “We were not notified or compensated for the termination without notice. We found our names struck off as ‘‘discontinued’’ when we went to attend our work,” Jena said.
When Jena enquired, the authorities told her she had been terminated because the college could not pay salaries. “We had no option, but it was so abrupt. They either should have been given us two months’ notice or salary for two months,” Suryaprabha Biswal said, another ex-lecturer of the college.
“We were laid off in mid-session, due to which we had to sit at home for three months,” Biswal said.
Both the women had approached the Orissa State Commission for Women (OSCW) to have their case heard. College director Prasanna Kumar Monday walked in to OSCW with a swagger and being accompanied by his staffers.
Brought face-to-face with the victims in the chamber of OSCW chairperson, Kumar agreed to pay one month’s salary as compensation to the victims.
But, when Orissa Post asked Kumar if he will compensate the victims, he declined to do so. “We will hire them back after sometime.” Asked if they were terminated because the college wanted men lecturers instead of men, he prevaricated.
The duo had alleged that since men lecturers can help the management in getting more new students to the college, they are gradually phasing out women employees. “It’s a harassment tactic they had adopted. First, they would make us work more by deploying us in examination duty for additional hours. Then eventually do away with us without giving any notice,” the duo claimed.
After the OSCW’s decision, the duo appeared relieved, though, uncertain about the management’s real intentions.