Bhopal: Father of Poonam Shroti – one among the 100 women achievers feted by President-has approached Women Commission seeking action against senior officials of government oil company accusing them of mentally harassing his daughter.
The retired armymen RP Shroti in a complaint to the commission alleged that GM of Indian Oil Corporation Vijay Kumar and area manager Shukla Sai mentally harassed his daughter to such an extent that she fell into coma. Poonam, who has rare brittle bone disease since childhood, had suffered brain hemorrhage and is in state of coma at Bansal hospital since February 6.
In his complaint to the commission Shroti said that his daughter had applied for LPG distributorship on September 29 last year. After being selected through draw, Poonam deposited Rs 40,000 as fee along with required documents. A field officer visited their village on December 24, 25 to verify the documents and place where the proposed LPG distribution agency was to be opened. The officer demanded documents which were not mentioned in the communiqué to Poonam but somehow she managed to get it with help of village Patwari.
After 15-20 days of inspection, area manager Sukhl Sai called up Poonam from his office telephone telling that her distributorship was cancelled by Indian Oil Corporation. To know the exact reason for the cancellation of her distributorship, Poonam came to Bhopal office of IOC and met Sai. However, the area manager allegedly demanded a sum of Rs two lakh as bribe for allotting distributorship.
She denied and tried meeting general manage Vijay Kumar on January 22 but in vain. Next day Kumar met her but to her shock admonished her saying, “You North Indians are like that only, you say something and do something. My officers sat right about you people.”
Disturbed by the developments and the treatment meted out to her, Poonam wrote letters to Union petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan and MP Bhopal Alok Sanjar complaining about the officers. Talking to Free Press, Shroti said that Poonam was she was in a state of mental trauma ever since she had a meeting with GM Kumar. “I tried to console her but she said when I could not fight for myself, what is the point of fighting for others,” said Shroti adding that it was because of mental trauma, she suffered brain hemorrhage on February 6 and is in coma since then.
Poonam featured among top 100 women achievers and was felicitated by then President Pranab Mukherjee on January 22, 2016. She is suffering from a bone disease Osteogenesis imperfecta since her childhood. She runs a NGO for women, disabled and children.
