BPC suspends employee, CEO expedites sexual harassment inquiry

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In the harassment case, the director and a customer representative of Bhutan Power Corporation Limited (BPCL) suspended the director, the investigation is being expedited. The suspension order was signed by the Chief Executive Officer of Bhutan Power Corporation Limited (BPCL), Sonam Tobjey on September 24, the director was suspended. Going by the Bhutan Power Corporation Limited’s Service Rules and Regulations (2016), a committee was instituted to investigate the case, the committee consists of three senior female officers, one legal officer and the Human Resource division Chief Executive Officer, Sonam Tobjey also confirmed that the Bhutan Power Corporation Limited’s Chief Executive Officer asked the committee to expedite the investigation as the investigation requires to complete by 10 working days. The Chief Executive Officer expects the result by next week – the last week of September to the first week of October. Following Bhutan Power Corporation Limited’s Service Rules and Regulations (2016), an accused has to be suspended simultaneously once the investigation is launched. The director will also remain in suspension for the whole duration of the investigation. The director in the duration of the investigation will be given 50 per cent of the salary. As soon as the harassment case was registered with Bhutan Power Corporation Limited, the Chief Executive Officer as per Service Rule (2016) instituted an investigation committee and the Chief Executive Officer a standing to expedite the investigation result. A reliable source confirmed that the director at multiple occasions, some employees of Bhutan Power Corporation Limited reported against the director to the management in the past. As per a reliable source, a retiree of Bhutan Power Corporation Limited shared that the incident allegedly occurred September 15’s wee hours, the victim was in her shift for night duty, the incident was reported to the management after five days while the CEO says, “he only received it a week later, and as soon as it reached to the CEO’s table, he immediately set a committee to investigate as enshrined in the service rules.” Meanwhile, the general public suggests a third-party investigator from Respect, Educate, Nurture and Empower Women (RENEW) or the Royal Bhutan Police is required as the people from the company will not conduct the investigation fair. The investigation will be completed within 10 working days.