HUDA grapples with staff shortage

While the estate office of the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) has grown in terms of paper work with 35 sectors in the district to look after, its clerical wing is facing the staff crunch. For every clerk in the estate branch of HUDA, there are around 3,800 files pertaining to various issues. With only nine clerks against 14 sanctioned posts and over 34,000 pending files, the body is grappling with shortage of hands.

Currently, there are only nine clerks and four assistants in HUDA to look after official work pertaining to allotment, conveyance deed and completion certificates etc. Since no appointments have been made against the sanctioned posts of clerks, five posts are lying vacant. Apart from maintaining files, they also have to compile the data in computers manually.

Officials say that there are around 34,000 files related to plots pending with HUDA under various sections and the shortage of staff is adding to the delay in disposing of cases.

“We have a severe shortage of manpower and the staff working with us is overburdened. We have written to the government to provide us with additional staff. Rather than adding to the strength as the township is growing, there has been a decrease in the staff members,” said Ashwani Sharma, estate officer, HUDA.

Meanwhile, the office has junior engineers and executive engineers joining them on deputation for survey work from time to time. When the estate office came into existence in 1977, there were six assistants while the township had seven sectors. Now while the sectors have grown five times since 1977 with 35 sectors, the number of assistants has come down to four as they have either retired or posted to some other department. While the previous two vacancies were not filled, no new posts were created either. With the coming of Right to Information Act, Lokayukta, Consumer Commission, HUDA has got additional work on its hand which is also looked after by these clerks.

“There are about 800 court cases pending against us. Any given day of the week, we have one or the other clerk accompanying some official to the court and work suffers. Hence, we are in a dire need of more hands and also if additional posts can be created for assistants,” added Sharma.