The Hindu 21.01.2010
VMC faces staff shortage
Staff Reporter
| Some 520 employees’ posts are lying vacant in the corporation |
Several top posts are being looked after by in-charge officials
Revenue wing has no full time deputy commissioner
VIJAYAWADA: Even as the city is getting hundreds of crores of rupees under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) for taking up a large number of developmental programmes, the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) is apparently facing acute shortage of staff at different levels.
The corporation is managing the show with in-charge officials occupying top posts. Of the 17 superintendents in the corporation, six are in-charge of posts that are above their rank. In addition, three senior assistants are functioning as superintendents in view of shortage of staff.
The revenue wing, which is considered to be the heart of the corporation, has no full time deputy commissioner. And all the three posts of assistant commissioner (revenue) are being held by in-charge persons. Most strikingly, the post of deputy commissioner (revenue) is now being held by an official of the cadre of superintendent who himself is holding the charge of one of the posts of assistant commissioner (revenue). Likewise, the three posts of accounts officers and the post of manager are lying vacant too.
The post of veterinary assistant civil surgeon is lying vacant ever since the last incumbent Z. Srinivas was sent back to his parent department a couple of years ago. Dr. Srinivas then held the charge of public relations officer and project officer of the urban community development wing as well. Though a PRO was appointed to the corporation later, he is on long leave on medical grounds. The corporation now has neither a PRO nor a VAS.
Though the urban community development wing is crucial for implementation of a large number of urban poverty alleviation programmes and urban self-help group activities, the post of project officer of the wing has mostly been held only by in-charge officials, except during the brief tenure of last incumbent D. Chandrasekhar, who was transferred to Peddapuram a couple of months ago. There has been no full time deputy educational officer too, notwithstanding the fact that the corporation has to manage more than 100 schools in the city. The post is temporarily filled with an in-charge official.
These apart, there are more than 520 employees’ posts that are lying vacant. These include the posts of 231 public health workers, two junior assistants, 11 record assistants and a typist. The figure could be more if the recent retirements of about 60 employees have been taken into consideration.
No recruitment
As there was no recruitment after 1985, the VMC promoted Class-IV employees to the post of junior assistants. This apart, many employees are working on contract basis and as non-muster roll employees in almost all the wings of the corporation.
As the corporation filled one of the two sanctioned posts of deputy commissioner with an additional commissioner (projects), there is no scope for filling up the post of estate officer, who controls the assets of the corporation. But there is a demand for filling up of the post of estate officer now in view of the need for better management of the assets of the corporation.
