But in schools of civic body, 107 teachers are in ‘surplus’
Nagpur: Functioning in various departments of cash-starved Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) is taking a hit as 4,118 posts of different categories are lying vacant. The civic body is facing a herculean task in dealing with the workload of various projects under implementation due to 34.43 per cent vacancies. Of a total 11,961 sanctioned posts, as many as 4,118 posts have not been filled up.
The statistics have been revealed in an RTI reply to a query under Right to Information (RTI) Act filed by activist Abhay Kolarkar. As per the Establishment Section of NMC, there are total 214 sanctioned posts of Class-I. Of these, only 111 are filled and 103 are lying vacant. This amounts to 48.13 per cent of Class-I posts remaining vacant, as on July 1, 2019. Besides, 85 posts of doctors on honorary appointments are sanctioned, but only 48 are extending service and 37 are vacant.
NMC has 61 sanctioned posts of Class-II, but only 11 are filled. As many as 50 posts (81.97 per cent of the sanctioned posts) of Class-II are vacant! Class-III posts include those of clerks and officials, as well as teachers. Among the clerical and administrative staff, of a total 3,812 sanctioned posts, as many as 2,016 (52.88 per cent) are lying vacant. As far as teachers are concerned, there are 1,065 sanctioned posts and 1,172 are working. This is the only area in which NMC has got ‘surplus’ staff. Compared to the sanctioned strength, the number of teachers working is higher by 107.
The RTI reply further said that there are 2,785 sanctioned posts of Class-IV. Of these, 1,711 (61.43 per cent) are vacant. Of a total 3,939 sanctioned posts of sanitation workers, 201 are vacant. The number of vacancies has increased over the years owing to retirement of staffers. Between January 1, 2014 and June 30, 2019, as many as 1,519 employees retired from service. Every year, more number of staffers are retiring. The year-wise number of staffers who retired from NMC’s service is as follows: 2014 — 212, 2015 — 225, 2016 — 276, 2017 — 310, 2018 — 315. In 2019, till June 30, total 181 staffers have retired. Apart from this, between January 2014 and June 30, 2019, total 178 Class-III and Class-IV staffers have died, as per the records of Labour Department. Further, 20 staffers have been sacked by NMC during the above said period.
As far as Class-IV posts are concerned, all three posts of Chief Guard, and 15 out of 19 sanctioned posts of Gurkha Chowkidar (Guard), and all three posts of Watchmen are vacant. Also, of a total 87 sanctioned posts of Chowkidar, 34 are vacant. On one hand, this is the position. On the other, NMC has been availing of services of private security agencies to get Guards. There are 19 sanctioned posts of Chief Gardener. Awfully, all 19 are vacant! NMC has 749 sanctioned posts of Peon/Maid Servant, and 508 of them are lying vacant. Out of total 732 sanctioned posts of Labourer (Mazdoor), 417 are lying vacant.
According to the RTI activist Abhay Kolarkar, though there are vacancies in big numbers, new recruitment has been stopped as NMC’s establishment cost is up to 50 per cent of its finances. The retired persons are being given jobs on contractual basis, he lamented.
