By Sunil Sonker
Mussoorie, 18 Mar: Tensions ran high in Mussoorie on Wednesday following allegations of misconduct against the Executive Engineer of the Uttarakhand Garhwal Jal Sansthan (Water Corporation). Employees staged a protest, levelling accusations of abusive language and an attempted physical altercation against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Mandal President, Rajat Agarwal, and demanding strict action.
However, the matter was resolved late in the evening after an apology was tendered.
It is reported that on 17 March 17, a meeting was held at the Gandhi Chowk premises—presided over by Cabinet Minister Ganesh Joshi—to address various civic issues facing the town. The meeting was attended by officials from various departments, including the Executive Engineer of the Uttarakhand Jal Sansthan, Amit Kumar, as well as elected public representatives.
According to the employees, discussions regarding issues related to drinking water and drainage were underway during the meeting when BJP Mandal President Rajat Agarwal intervened and allegedly behaved rudely with the Executive Engineer. It is alleged that he used abusive language and even attempted to physically assault the engineer—an altercation that was averted thanks to the timely intervention of other individuals present at the scene. This incident sparked outrage among the employees of the Jal Sansthan. They argued that such incidents demoralise officials and staff members, creating an atmosphere of fear within the workplace.
In protest against the incident, employees—rallying under the banner of the Uttarakhand Jal Sansthan Employees Union, Mussoorie, and led by the Union’s Acting President, Ramchandra Semwal—staged a vigorous demonstration outside the offices of the Mussoorie SDM and the Kotwali. The employees also submitted a written complaint to the police, demanding that appropriate legal action be taken against Rajat Agarwal. The employees issued a clear warning: if no action was taken within two days, all employees and officials would observe a complete work boycott until March 23, 2026, for which the individual concerned would be held solely responsible. They further asserted that a government order issued by the State Government explicitly states that strict action will be taken against anyone who behaves rudely toward or physically assaults an employee while they are on duty; therefore, they argued, it is imperative that action be taken in this specific case in accordance with the established rules.
Amidst protests that continued throughout the day and mounting pressure, Rajat Agarwal arrived at the Jal Sansthan office late in the evening. There, he apologised to Executive Engineer Amit Kumar and other staff members for his conduct. Following the apology, the Employees’ Union decided, by mutual consent, to withdraw their complaint and close the matter.
With the situation having de-escalated, normalcy has returned to the city. However, this incident has once again underscored the need for decorous conduct and coordination between elected representatives and government officials.
