Due to lack of staff, complaints pile up and workers are now forced to work without leave.
Chennai corporation
Chennai: One of the major reasons that delayed the return of normalcy after floods hit Chennai was the shortage of staff in Chennai corporation, Chennai metro water and Chennai collectorate.
According to sources, all three departments have been facing staff shortage of more than 25 per cent for the last 10 years. While departments like police, health and education have been periodically provided additional staff by creating new posts to cope up the growth of Chennai, the civic departments were denied recruitment and no new posts were created.
This forced the civic administration to outsource road relaying, garbage collection and desilting drains. Further, during the floods, government bodies lost control over contractors and their temporary staff, a senior government official told DC. Trade unions affiliated to the civic bodies admit the same.
“Fifteen years ago, Madras corporation on its pay roll had above 11,000 permanent staff for cleaning and maintaining the city, but as on date the civic body on its rolls has just 3,300 confirmed staff. Major works such as garbage collection, maintenance of parks, burial grounds and storm water drains have also been outsourced,” said Perambur legislator A Soundarajan, central committee member, CPI(M). The situation with metro water and Chennai collectorate is also the same, despite city’s massive expansion and robust growth. “By 2020, our entire department will be totally left with only field engineers and board of directors. First of all, no one wants to join the metro water as its deals with clearing sewer and stinking drains.
Further, the state policy of not recruiting permanent staff has made matters adverse,” said a metro water staff in ward 58 (Park Town), who is now undergoing treatment for toe web infection at Government General Hospital.
Due to lack of staff, complaints pile up and workers are now forced to work without leave. The government should recruit more direct staff and offer more perks for people, who do such menial jobs, otherwise city will continue to stink during monsoon, the staff member said.
“Only government can suspend or pull up errant workers. Contract staff just stays away from jobs during times of urgency or rains. For instance during late 70’s the civic bodies had dedicated staff to prevent malaria and mosquitoes. Now there is no such provision, but mosquitoes thrive causing malaria, dengue and chikungunya,” said social activist D. Mani, who has filed several RTI petitions exposing the vacancies at city corporation’s health department.
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( Source : deccan chronicle )
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