Pachauri still at TERI, Mathur awaits relieving from BEE

TERI governing council named Ajay Mathur new Director General on July 24

This article has been modified. Please see the clarification at the end.

The controversy over the post of director-general (DG) of The Energy and Research Institute (TERI) is likely to get murkier.

Ajay Mathur, director-general at the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), a wholly owned subsidiary of ministry of power, was appointed the new DG, while Pachauri too continues in the same position.

Sources said though Pachauri may step down as the DG, he might continue to be a member of the board, preferably as the chairman.

Mathur, on the other hand, is awaiting his relieving letter from the government after resigning from his erstwhile post in July and has already served the mandatory notice period of 90 days.

"His notice period concluded earlier this week. Currently, he is awaiting the termination letter from the Appointments Committee of Cabinet, after which he will join TERI," a senior government official in the know told Business Standard .

The ministry of power has advertised for the post of DG of BEE. Gernment officials said the search should conclude by November, as suitable candidates have been short-listed.

Officials said they were 'clueless' over the delay in termination of Mathur as well, which usually was a very general affair.

In an email response, Pachauri's office at TERI said, "Dr Ajay Mathur will assume his new responsibilities in accordance with government processes and procedures. On other matters, updates will be shared as and when available." The governing council chairman council at TERI did not respond to queries sent to him last week.

Pachauri, who had been the chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change when it won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007, was alleged of sexual harassment and misconduct by female employees at TERI in separate cases. In February 2015, a legal case on the same was also filed against him by a female research associate at the organisation, after which the Delhi District Court barred him from entering TERI premises. Pachauri has denied these charges throughout.

However, in July 2015, the Delhi High Court allowed him "to visit TERI premises other than the headquarters and the office in Gurgaon where the alleged victim is currently posted".

In May, the Internal Complaints Committee at TERI, under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, had found him guilty of misusing his position in the organisation and violating the organisation's policy on sexual harassment. It had made several recommendations for remediation.

However, 10 days later Pachauri had obtained a stay on the committee report, by a counter order from the Industrial Labour Tribunal.

CONTINUING STORY

2015

• Feb 20: FIR against TERI director general RK Pachauri for allegedly sexually harassing woman researcher
   
• Feb 24: Pachauri denies allegations, steps down as chairman, IPCC
   
• Feb 28: PM accepts Pachauri's resignation from PM's panel on climate change
  

 

Mar 21: Delhi High Court allows him to visit TERI premises barring the headquarters and the Gurgaon office, where the alleged victim is currently posted
 

May 19: Internal Complaints Committee at TERI finds Pachauri guilty of misusing his position in the organisation and violating the organisation's policy on sexual harassment.
 

May 29: Pahauri secures stay on recommendations of Internal Complaints Committee by order from Industrial Labour Tribunal
 

Jul 24: TERI governing council names Ajay Mathur new Director General
 

Set 28: Alleged victim moves High Court seeking Pachauri's immediate removal. Court lists application and the matter for hearing on November 16. 

CLARIFICATION

In an earlier version of this article, it was mentioned that R K Pachauri's services as director-general at Teri were terminated, which is incorrect. The Teri announcement on the change of guard at Teri with the appointment of Ajay Mathur as its new DG did not state that Pachauri’s services were terminated. Also, the Court order that allowed Pachauri to attend all Teri offices other than its headquarters and the office in Gurgaon till investigations got over, was passed on July 17, 2015 and not in March, as was wrongly stated earlier. The errors are regretted.