Political Transfers, Human Cost: Employee's Suicide Puts UDF Government Under Scrutiny Over Politically Targeted Postings

Kasaragod: Collector Arjun Pandian has ordered an inquiry and report into the death by suicide of A Ashalatha (42), senior clerk at the Endosulfan Cell of the Collectorate and a district council member of the NGO Union. Ashalatha died on August 9 while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Kozhikode after consuming rat poison. ADM P Udayakumar will conduct the inquiry. The probe will be carried out in addition to the investigation by the Vidyanagar police.

It has been alleged that Ashalatha had taken the extreme step following a transfer. The latest incident comes amid wide criticisms against the UDF government over the politically motivated transfers to different districts and changing departments or sections.

Meanwhile, the Collector said strict action would be taken if anyone is found responsible in the departmental inquiry into Ashalatha's death.

On August 7, the Vidyanagar police recorded Ashalatha's statement at a private hospital in Chengala in the presence of her relatives. She said she had mixed three packets of Ratol rat poison with ice cream and consumed it at around 10 am that day.

Ashalatha, who was working in the A05 section of the Collectorate, was transferred to the Endosulfan Special Cell within the same Collectorate complex on May 12. Three senior clerks, including Ashalatha, were transferred on the Collector's orders. It has been reported that the change caused mental stress to her.

On Monday, a young woman named Deepalekha collapsed while arriving for a meeting of the Health and Education Standing Committee of Chokli panchayat scheduled for 1 pm. She had reached the panchayat office earlier and was tearfully explaining her transfer to Health Standing Committee Chairman K T K Pradeep before she collapsed. Pradeep said the last thing she spoke about before her death was the difficulty caused by the transfer.

“Pradeepetta, I have been transferred,” she informed him. “I was initially transferred to Mattannur. After I filed an appeal, it was changed to Pinarayi. How can I travel such a long distance with my injured leg? What will I do getting on and off the bus?” Before she could finish speaking, she collapsed face-first.

The mental distress allegedly caused by successive transfer orders led to Deepalekha's death. She had hoped that the transfer would be cancelled after meeting the DMO in person, showing her medical records and the injury to her leg, and submitting an appeal.

Since assuming office, the V D Satheesan led government has been selectively transferring employees who are members of service organisations, especially from the left front. According to reports, around 500 employees in the Health Department alone were transferred within a month. Following the transfers, it has been pointed out that many of the orders were issued without taking the pre-monsoon cleaning and other preparations into consideration.