Prasar Bharati: Action taken against officer in sex harassment case
Swati Mathur and Ambika Pandit | TNN | Dec 8, 2018, 00:08 ISTNEW DELHI: Public broadcaster Prasar Bharati has reported to the National Commission of Women the action it has taken against the officer charged with sexual harassment by nine casual announcers of the All India Radio (AIR’s) Shahdol station in Madhya Pradesh.
The Action Taken Report (ATR) furnished by the public broadcaster on November 30 acknowledges receipt of nine cases of sexual harassment against the accused officer, Ratnakar Bharti, of All India Radio. It also says the charges against the officer, then assistant director programming of the Shahdol station, were proved during the enquiries conducted by the internal complaints committee (ICC) and that it had recommended the strictest action against him.
Though the public broadcaster does not name Bharti, the ATR report says the disciplinary authority accepted the recommendations of the ICC and “imposed a major penalty of reduction to a lower pay scale by two stages for one year and no increment during the reduction period” on the officer. It also said, “After the expiration of one year, the reduction period will have effects on subsequent increments.”
The report to NCW also said Bharti was transferred as an administrative measure on October 31, 2018.
Listing a set of “preventive measures” to improve working conditions for women employees, the public broadcaster said AIR has started to post women programme executives as station in-charge, that it has installed CCTV cameras at vantage points, and has started to provide transport facilities to women employees at odd hours. “Further, the Prasar Bharati Secretariat has issued to all its directorates to send quarterly progress reports in respect of sexual harassment complaints being inquired into by the respective internal committees,” the ATR said.
TOI was the first to report on October 31 the complaints filed by nine casual announcers of AIR against Ratnatar Bharti, their programming head at the Shahdol station in MP. While Bharti was transferred to the AIR headquarters and put under the “strictest vigil” under AIR director general, the casual employees have since not been called on duty. After his indictment and transfer to the Delhi headquarters, he was also appointed to the inquiry division, and deputed on behalf of the public broadcaster as inquiry officer for programming and employee matters in Bareilly and Gorakhpur stations of AIR.
The National Commission for Women had in a letter to the Prasar Bharati CEO on November 15, directed the public broadcaster to conduct an inquiry into the complaints. The commission had also sought an Action Taken Report on the matter in 15 days.
The Action Taken Report (ATR) furnished by the public broadcaster on November 30 acknowledges receipt of nine cases of sexual harassment against the accused officer, Ratnakar Bharti, of All India Radio. It also says the charges against the officer, then assistant director programming of the Shahdol station, were proved during the enquiries conducted by the internal complaints committee (ICC) and that it had recommended the strictest action against him.
Though the public broadcaster does not name Bharti, the ATR report says the disciplinary authority accepted the recommendations of the ICC and “imposed a major penalty of reduction to a lower pay scale by two stages for one year and no increment during the reduction period” on the officer. It also said, “After the expiration of one year, the reduction period will have effects on subsequent increments.”
The report to NCW also said Bharti was transferred as an administrative measure on October 31, 2018.
Listing a set of “preventive measures” to improve working conditions for women employees, the public broadcaster said AIR has started to post women programme executives as station in-charge, that it has installed CCTV cameras at vantage points, and has started to provide transport facilities to women employees at odd hours. “Further, the Prasar Bharati Secretariat has issued to all its directorates to send quarterly progress reports in respect of sexual harassment complaints being inquired into by the respective internal committees,” the ATR said.
TOI was the first to report on October 31 the complaints filed by nine casual announcers of AIR against Ratnatar Bharti, their programming head at the Shahdol station in MP. While Bharti was transferred to the AIR headquarters and put under the “strictest vigil” under AIR director general, the casual employees have since not been called on duty. After his indictment and transfer to the Delhi headquarters, he was also appointed to the inquiry division, and deputed on behalf of the public broadcaster as inquiry officer for programming and employee matters in Bareilly and Gorakhpur stations of AIR.
The National Commission for Women had in a letter to the Prasar Bharati CEO on November 15, directed the public broadcaster to conduct an inquiry into the complaints. The commission had also sought an Action Taken Report on the matter in 15 days.
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