Two-thirds posts vacant in Hoshiarpur civic body

Sanjiv Kumar Bakshi

Hoshiarpur, October 21 

The Municipal Corporation Hoshiarpur (MCH) suffers an acute staff crunch which has led to immense pressure on the employees. 

Information procured under the Right to Information (RTI) Act states that as many as 263 posts were lying vacant in the MCH against a total sanctioned strength of 633. Many key posts, such as those of assistant commissioner, secretary, superintending engineer, municipal town planner and senior town planner, were lying vacant. 

Mayor Shiv Sud said they had written to the government many times to fill the provincial posts and to allow the corporation to fill the vacant posts of lower cadres. As soon as they get a nod from the government, they would fill them up, he stated. 

The information procured by RTI activist Jai Gopal Dhiman states that the MCH was being run by merely one third of the staff. The situation was so worse that even those who were promoted as inspectors some time ago were still holding the charges of the posts they were at earlier. There are inspectors who are holding the charge of three-four posts which they held before promotions, besides their own charge as inspector. The assistant commissioner’s sole post is lying vacant as well as the post of deputy comptroller of finance and audit, another of secretary, the sole post of superintending enginner and of section officers (civil) are lying vacant. 

The corporation has no senior town planner, no municipal town planner and not architect against one post for each. Shiv Sud said the MC had passed a resolution to fill many posts and it had been sent to the government for approval. The provincialised posts are to be filled by the government and the matter was being taken up. 

“As soon as the government allows us to fill the posts, the deficiency will be fulfilled. Meanwhile, we are running the affairs with the help of out sourcing and contractors,” the Mayor added.