Alappuzha: The directorate of the State Water Transport Department (SWTD) on Thursday witnessed unruly scenes as protestors damaged properties at the headquarters and threatened a woman official with dire consequences after the department reshuffled Station Masters.

What led to the protest was the transfer of a Station Master from Ernakulam to Parassinikadavu in Kannur.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Six Station Masters at four stations – Ernakulam, Parassinikadavu, Panavalli, and Edathua, were reshuffled as part of operational requirements. The protest is politically motivated and has nothing to do with staff interest,” said a senior SWTD official.

A woman official in the rank of Administrator Assistant was threatened by the protestors who barged into the headquarters office here around noon.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Five persons claiming to be members of NGO Sangh, a right-wing outfit, barged into the office around 12.30 noon. They shouted at me and smashed the glass window of my working table where various equipment, including the laptop, were kept,” the woman official said.

The protestors, meanwhile, termed the shuffling process “unscientific” and lashed out at the department for targeting certain personnel “who are suddenly transferred to far-off places”.

ADVERTISEMENT

However, the management denied the allegation. “The reshuffling is done on the basis of a performance-based ranking report. It takes several factors into account like efficiency in operations and behaviour towards passengers among others,” the official added.

A report on the incident has been submitted to the SWTD Director, who would soon initiate measures like registering a police complaint and seeking compensation against those found guilty.

The comments posted here/below/in the given space are not on behalf of Onmanorama. The person posting the comment will be in sole ownership of its responsibility. According to the central government's IT rules, obscene or offensive statement made against a person, religion, community or nation is a punishable offense, and legal action would be taken against people who indulge in such activities.