Nagpur: The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) stands deserted, now-a-days. Not that the civic body is visited by anybody. In fact it is hub all the development activities and shabby affairs as well. Deserted in the sense that a whopping 3301 posts of varying categories are lying vacant in the development agency. Till December 31, 2015, employees on 8284 posts are working different departments as against the sanctioned posts of 11455. No need to guess the working style of “short-handed” Nagpur Municipal Corporation. Moreover, a dreaded situation stares the face of the civic body as well as citizens as half of the present officials and employees would get retired between the years 2016 and 2018 and thus reduce the strength rather alarmingly. Even otherwise, the NMC is faced with no workload at present worth the name as the affairs of Water Works, Tax, Education, Electricity, and some other departments have gone into private hands or contractual basis. The workload is only on papers for the purpose of creating uproar only. The only men of loads and loads of work are aiwazdars (sanitation workers) for one reason or another. For the cash-strapped NMC, limiting the manpower seems to be only remedy to save money in this inflationary time.
According to a reply to a RTI query following officials are retiring in the years 2106, 2017, and 2018:
Class-I Officers: Rizwan Siddiqui – February 28, 2018, Superintending Engineer Shashikant Hastak – June 30, 2016, Ward Officer Rajesh Karade – October 31, 2018, Health Deputy Director Dr Milind Ganvir – August 31, 2017, Medical Officer Dr S R Meshram – October 31, 2016, Medical Officer Dr C S Lanjewar – January 31, 2017, Medical Officer Dr Swati Matkari – April 30, 2017, Medical Officer Dr Meena Gavai — September 30, 2016, Medical Officer Dr A S Chivhane – November 30, 2018, Medical Officer Dr K B Tumane – July 31, 2019, Medical Officer Dr A S Shinde — May 31, 2018, Graduate Doctor V D Suryavanshi – April 30, 2018, Graduate Doctor V P Kadu – June 30, 2016, Social Welfare Officer Sudha Iraskar – June 30, 2016, Sub-Divisional Engineer D G Jamgade – September 30, 2017, Sub-Divisional Engineer R V Warke – April 30, 2016, Sub-Divisional Engineer M R Gupta – June 30, 2017, Sub-Divisional Engineer J S Chavan – July 31, 2016, Sub-Divisional Engineer K L Sonkusre – January 31, 2018, Sub-Divisional Engineer D D Jambhulkar – August 31, 2018, Sub-Divisional Engineer V W Gabhne – January 31, 2017, Sub-Divisional Engineer C J Dhakate – August 31, 2018, Sub-Divisional Engineer R S Gandhi – Aoril 30, 2017, Sub-Divisional Engineer R S Bhute – September 30, 2018, Sub-Divisional Engineer V R Revatkar – June 30, 2017, Sub-Divisional Engineer A B Mogaokar – June 30, 2016, Sub-Divisional Engineer (Electric) S G Bhujade – August 31, 2016, and Superintendent A A Pipurde – April 30, 2017.
In the NMC, till December 31, 2015, the sanctioned posts of Class-I Officers are 279 out of which 136 are lying vacant. Similarly, of the 32 sanctioned posts of Class-II Officers, 25 posts are vacant. In Class-III category, out of the 4420 sanctioned posts 1344 are lying vacant while in Class-IV, 683 posts are vacant out of the 3939 santioned posts.
Notably, the NMC at present is deprived of many important posts such as Project Director, Corporation Secretary, Garden Superintendent, Chief Medical Officer, Medical and Octroi Superintendents, Special Desk Officer, Labour Officer, Medical Officers (15 posts), Pathologists, Graduate Doctors (10 posts), Objection Officer, Prosecutor, and Public Relations Officer. Almost all these vacant posts are being handled additionally by one officer or another and ‘pocketing moolah’ for no work as such.
Moreover, even the post of Private Assistant to Municipal Commissioner is lying vacant since years.
Many officials and employees have been found deputed to other departments at the whims and fancies of top officials and office-bearers. The Education Department is classic example of dismal affairs. If sources are to be believed, dozens of teachers have been found working in other departments and thus neglecting their parent job, the teaching. Here political one-upmanship is playing the major role. No surprise, quality of education in NMC schools is taking a severe beating. Students are therefore deserting the schools and shutters of many NMC schools are being downed.
All said and done, ironically the Nagpur Municipal Corporation lacked a full list of officials and employees who are retiring or even retired.
– RAJEEV RANJAN KUSHWAHA ( rajeev.nagpurtoday@gmail.com )
