MADURAI: The Principal and Secretary of Lady Doak College (LDC) in Madurai Dr.Christianna Singh had given a detailed reply to the show-cause notice issued to her by the sub-regional office of Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) here for non-compliance and obstructing the ESI’s Social Security Officer Mr.R.Rajkumar in the discharge of his duties when he visited the college campus on a couple of dates in October and November 2022 for inspection of records pertaining to M/s Katie Wilcox Education Association.
While the ESI had issued a show cause notice for proposed criminal prosecution in an official communication dated 9th November 2022, the LDC Principal had replied to the notice on December 5th 2022 mentioning the reasons on why and how confusion prevailed during the inspection and there was no mala fide intention.
“The college management had replied to the notice and our college is always ready to provide any information or records. The ESI officer was not prevented or restrained from doing inspection. There was some confusion and the reasons were explained in the reply by our Principal and Secretary. Moreover, there is CCTV video footage and audio footage to show that there was only some confusion during this incident and nothing else,” sources in LDC told ‘LotusTimes’ website on 19th January 2023 while responding to a news item carried by the website the previous day.
REASONS FOR CONFUSION:
Dr.Christianna Singh has mentioned a few reasons for the confusion. “The Social Security Officer Mr.R.Rajkumar was not wearing any identity card while entering into the college when he came for inspection, he has not carried any documents authorizing him to inspect the college. No prior intimation about his visit was given to the college. He entered the college campus on 21st October 2022 without making any entry in the visitors’ register which is mandatory for anyone to enter being a women’s college. A perusal of the document produced by him on 11th October 2022 reveals that he was authorized to inspect the college only from 6th to 10th October 2022 but he had not inspected the college on any of those dates. Instead of meeting the Principal first and intimating about his visit with proper documents, he went to the office directly and demanded the files relating to the aided staff which will not fall under the purview of ESI,” she said.
PROMPTLY PAYING THE CONTRIBUTION:
Dr.Christianna Singh has stated that the confusion arose only due to genuine doubt and it was neither wilful nor wanton. “The college has been promptly settling the contribution to ESI. There is no need for the college to restrain any officer from inspecting the files or concealing anything. The college is ready to furnish any further information relating to ESI and there is no default. The Lady Doak College as well as M/s Katie Wilcox Education Association are abiding with all the rules and regulations. There was confusion in the dates of inspection and the absence of proper intimation by that officer had led to this confusion. There is CCTV footage,” she said in the reply to ESI notice.
