Patna: Officers of the Bihar Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Welfare Service Cadre on Wednesday launched an indefinite dharna at Gardanibagh, intensifying their protest after remaining on mass leave for the past seven days. The officers are demanding implementation of a seven-point charter, including withdrawal of departmental proceedings against hundreds of cadre personnel and improvement in field-level working conditions.According to the association, more than 200 officers from different districts participated in the protest. Association president Sanjay Kumar claimed that around 85% of cadre officers had joined the mass leave movement and alleged that the department had not taken any concrete steps despite repeated representations.A key demand of the association is the withdrawal of departmental proceedings initiated against 388 officers. The protesters also sought a review of disciplinary actions, arguing that field-level officers should not face punitive measures for minor administrative lapses.The association demanded adequate infrastructure and resources for welfare branches functioning at block and sub-divisional levels. It also called for the abolition of the monitoring cell at the state secretariat, alleging that long-term deputation of field officers to the secretariat was creating workforce imbalance.According to the association, the cadre has 632 sanctioned posts, of which around 450 are currently filled. It claimed that more than 50 officers had been deputed to the secretariat for several years, reducing manpower availability in the field and resulting in an estimated annual financial burden of Rs 5.4 crore on the state exchequer.Other demands include provision of govt vehicles or a fixed travel allowance, appointment of school and hostel managers, amendments to service cadre rules, and better communication between the department and field-level officers.Association secretary Rajiv Kumar said the officers had been compelled to continue their mass leave and begin an indefinite dharna from Oct 7 as no written assurance had been received from the department regarding their demands.The association also sought a mechanism for regular interaction between senior departmental officials and block- and sub-divisional-level welfare officers to ensure timely resolution of grievances and consideration of field-level concerns.
