The Hindu 04.02.2011
Plan to increase sanitary divisions in city
The higher authorities of the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) are keenly pursuing a proposal to increase the number of sanitary divisions in the city even as there is, apparently, an acute shortage of sanitary staff.
Official sources said that there was a proposal to create at least another 10 divisions as against the existing 34 divisions. Earlier they toyed with the idea of creating 59 sanitary divisions equal to the total number of divisions in the city. The officials later brought down the number to 44. But even this proposal could “cast a spell on the work and work force” as there is already a shortage of about eight sanitary inspectors for the existing sanitary divisions. “The remaining vacancies have been adjusted with maestris,” sources said.
Now, if there is any further increase in the number of divisions, it would only lead to acute shortage of sanitary inspectors. The Corporation would have to manage the newly-created divisions with maestris either based on seniority or educational qualification. It would have a cascading affect on the maestri strength. At present, there was a shortage of at least two maestris in each division, the sources said.
Vacancies
Likewise, the vacancies of field staff that arose due to retirement of workers have not been filled so far.
At least 100 workers would have retired, but the vacancies have not been filled. While there is a requirement of about 100 workers in each division depending upon the jurisdiction, there are 70 to 100 workers in each division now. The move to increase the sanitary divisions would require more field staff, maestris and supervisory staff like sanitary inspectors. As there are meagre chances of recruiting new faces, the Corporation would have to “adjust the existing force”, the source explain.
The officials fear that the proposal would badly hit the sanitation in the city as the existing staff “would have to be adjusted” for the newly formed sanitary divisions as well.
