Panchayat Office in Udupi Shuts as Staff Protest Alleged Harassment

Udupi: The Bairampalli Gram Panchayat office in Udupi district faced an unusual disruption on New Year’s Day 2025, with staff members failing to report for duty, leaving the office closed until noon. The absence of the data entry operator, bill collector, and water operator followed allegations of workplace harassment by a panchayat member and an unresolved dispute with higher authorities.

The employees—Vasanthi, Sumana, and Manohar Naik—had earlier submitted resignation letters on December 19, 2024, citing "mental pressure" at work. In their letters, they warned that they would stop working from January 1, 2025, unless their grievances were addressed. The staff alleged that despite complaints to the Taluk Panchayat Executive Officer (EO), Vijaya, and Zilla Panchayat CEO, Prateek Bayal, no action was taken.

President of the Gram Panchayat, Prasad Mallya, stated that efforts to mediate the issue through the ZP CEO had failed. “The panchayat office remained closed for most of the morning, inconveniencing the public. The EO arrived only after a video of the locked office went viral on social media and unlocked the premises,” he explained. Mallya plans to meet the ZP CEO to discuss solutions for ensuring uninterrupted operations at the office.

Santhosh Kumar Bairampalli, the panchayat member accused of harassment, denied the allegations. He claimed the controversy arose after Panchayat Development Officer (PDO) Sumana took a stricter stance against corrupt practices, which irked some staff and members. “This is an attempt to exert pressure on us, but I won’t yield,” he said.