The family of Jolly Madhu, 56, a section officer at the Coir Board who died on Monday of cerebral haemorrhage allegedly caused by workplace harassment, has blamed the board chairman for issuing a statement on her death “filled with inaccuracies and omissions”.
A resident of Chalikkavattom near Vennala here, she was admitted to a private hospital in the city after she collapsed on January 31. Her family had alleged that severe workplace harassment at her office had resulted in cerebral haemorrhage.
Jolly was a cancer survivor. Her family members pointed out that she was transferred to a remote location in Andhra Pradesh, ignoring a medical board’s recommendation that she required treatment and should not be transferred.
A press release issued by the chairman had rejected the allegations against Board officials. Officials are being transferred on administrative exigencies to achieve the desired outcomes. Jolly was transferred to the regional office at Rajahmundry due to administrative exigencies, it said.
Her family alleged that she was transferred in clear violation of the board’s transfer policy, which said that employees suffering from serious illnesses, including cancer, were exempted from transfer to other States and would be posted in their respective stations, as far as possible.
The chairman’s release, which was issued after her death, said that her transfer order was cancelled due to her medical condition, which came to the notice of the authorities recently. The family has urged the office of the Prime Minister to launch an independent investigation into the board’s handling of the matter.
Published – February 12, 2025 08:23 pm IST
