Charity Commission employees raise slogans every day during lunch hour over workload due to lack of computers

Employees of the Charity Commissioner's Office shouted slogans outside their Worli workplace on Saturday. Nearly 70 employees have been protesting since July 28 against what they deem as the Commissioner's step-motherly treatment towards them.


Nearly 70 employees of the Charity Commission have been protesting
outside their Worli office since July 28. PICs/sayed SAMEER ABIDI

However, to ensure that their work is not affected, the employees have been raising slogans during their lunch hour between 1.30 and 2.30 pm. The employees all wear black ribbons to protest the lack of computers in their office that they say has increased manual work.

"Under the Bombay Public Trust Act, the Charity Commissioner is the guardian of our trust. None of us has been trained to use a computer. We all are MSc and IT degree holders, but no initiative has been taken to reduce our workload. All the work is currently done manually, no matter how complicated it is," said an employee, pointing to towering piles of papers, visible through windows of the office building.

What's more, they also claim that only the commissioner's office is fitted with air conditioning, while they have to slog it out in the heat. "Only the second and third floors have the luxury of air conditioning, where the commissioners' offices are located," said another employee, who did not wish to be named.

The recent transfer of an employee, who has pout in 28 years of service, has also left them aggrieved.

"There is a shortage of staff anyway. The last recruitment took place in 2006. This transfer means an extra workload on current employees. Each of us is doing the work of five persons, but earning the salary of one," said another employee.

Charity Commissioner MK Chaure said, "I am a judge, so, I know the provisions of the Bombay Public Trust Act.

We will start recruiting soon. The employees get their salary from the budget allotted by the government. I am not authorised to speak further, without the consent of the Supreme Court or the High Court."

The employees say, their salary currently comes from two per cent of the donations received from every trust under them. "There have been no promotions in the past four years. The building does not have a canteen and we're not allowed to order tea from a stall outside for 'security reasons'," said an employee.