Harmanpreet wants out but Railway throws rule book at her

Kulwinder Sandhu

Tribune News Service

Moga, January 19

Her resignation not accepted by Western Railway, Indian women’s cricket team’s vice-captain Harmanpreet Kaur won’t be able to join Punjab Police as Deputy Superintendent. The 28-year-old cricketer from Moga, who smashed a blistering 171 against Australia to help India enter the women’s ICC World Cup final last year, was offered the post of DSP by the Punjab government in July 2017. However, her current employer — Western Railway — has not relieved her so far. 

The cricketer had joined Railway as an office superintendent three years ago and had signed a five-year bond, which is now being cited by the organisation for not accepting her resignation.   Western Railway is also demanding a sum of Rs 27 lakh from the cricketer as a penalty for not honouring the service bond.

Harmanpreet was offered the job of DSP in Punjab Police after her superlative effort in the World Cup, following which she had tendered her resignation to Western Railway authorities.  

Harmanpreet’s father, Harminder Singh Bhullar, while talking to mediapersons here today, said Western Railway had not paid salary to his daughter for the past five months.

He said Western Railway was demanding five-year salary from Harmapreet for forfeiting the service contract even though she had already served three years.

The Arjuna awardee on Monday returned from Australia after playing in the women’s Big Bash League and will attend a training camp on Wednesday, ahead of the Indian team’s tour of South Africa later this month.

It has been learnt that Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has taken up the issue with Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, but nothing has come out of it yet.

Sources in Western Railway, meanwhile, said the organisation wanted to retain Harmanpreet and had also offered to promote her to the post of Officer on Special Duty (Sports) but she rejected the offer and tendered her resignation.