Feeling Isolated and Ignored at Work: Can a PSU Really Disassociate Me Without Cause?

I am an executive director at a PSU in India. I raised a few questions to the management, and they referred some cases to the CBI and disassociated me from work. The CBI took its time, and now, finally, they could not find anything and shut the cases. However, there was no official communication regarding this to me.

They issued me a letter stating that I am disassociated from all work. No file is to be moved through me, and no department is to interact with me. The management has still disassociated me from work for five years. I need to come to the office and sit idle without any work. It is torture and humiliating. Can a PSU do that? I have been writing to the management and the Ministry, but no response has come.

Dear member,

If the management has dissociated the Executive Director from the work, it indicates that they want the person to resign voluntarily. However, in this case, you have persevered for five long years, and both sides are testing each other's patience.

Yours is a sufficiently senior position. You have referred to the authorities concerned as "management," but as an Executive Director, you are also supposed to be part of the management. The remedy to your problem is to request an interview with the Managing Director and explore opportunities for reconciliation. It may require some compromise, but it is acceptable. Please note that, regardless of the situation, the managing authorities always hold the upper hand, and lower-level employees, including officers, are expected to comply. Whether in private organizations, government organizations, or semi-government organizations, the bosses expect juniors to cater to their egos. On the contrary, did you bruise their ego?

If the top boss remains uncooperative, then write an application to the secretary of the concerned ministry. If that also does not work, you will have to file a civil suit asking for the restoration of your right to work.

General comments: The post unwittingly exposes the maladministration that prevails in the PSUs. On one side, the government talks about increasing the efficiency of the PSUs, and on the other side, a person holding the position of the "Executive Director" is dissociated from work for five years! Is this how the government wants to make India a 5-trillion-dollar economy?

Thanks,

Dinesh Divekar

Using RTI to Address PSU Issues

RTI could be effectively used to counter this situation. You could collect information on what is happening in the PSU. Also, it could result in some decisions being made under its threat. There are enough grounds to file a writ petition in the High Court, but before that, you may address a representation to the topmost official, making it sound legal, and ask for proper placement.

Dear Sri Plawat,

I have experience working in both public and private sectors during my four decades of service. Your case is Executive Director vs. the Management. In this scenario, the Management will always be strong.

Had it been Management vs. Worker, the Worker's chances of winning would have been brighter.

I have seen a similar predicament with many individuals. Each of them behaved differently. One person was biding his time, gathered all the required knowledge, and when the winds changed, he shot up to the limelight again. Another person didn't do anything, and the status quo prevailed until his retirement.

My suggestion would be to continue to keep a low profile while enriching yourself with all the technical developments happening around, within, and outside your organization. This will stand you in good stead. Always have faith in your abilities and never let your self-confidence take a beating.

Tough times do not last, but tough people do.

V. Raghunathan
Chennai

Sir, you must do one thing. On the 1st day and last day of the month, write a letter to higher authorities, no matter what, regarding the fact that you have not been provided with any work. This action will help you in your APAR (Annual Performance Appraisal Report). Every year, the APAR is written by the authorities. If you do not take any action, then they will write negatively in your APAR. Even though you are willing to work, if they do not provide you with any tasks, it is a common issue faced by some individuals. I, too, have spent 34 years in government service.