HYDERABAD: While Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) staff are regularly promoted or moved to other departments, they are not replaced. This is affecting the administration of the metropolitan body. HMDA (Member-Estates) B. Rajesham, was recently promoted to the position of joint collector. He was among the three officials who dealt with the Kokapet lands case and assisted the legal team in compiling arguments. This resulted in a verdict in favour of the urban body. Now, a key department which manages crucial properties of the body has been left without a head.
IAS officer Sweta Mohanty, former director of the ORR Project, was moved to Wanaparthy district last October. She has yet to be replaced by an IAS officer. The ORR Project does not have any full-time land acquisition officers. Officers who previously worked on the project have been promoted and moved to various districts. A director of planning who was moved to the Directorate of Town and Country Planning a few months ago has yet to be replaced. The vigilance department does not have a head either.
In order to keep departments running, existing officers have been assigned additional responsibilities. This has resulted in a high workload and delays in decision-making. The HMDA once had 600 staff members. Over the past few years, nearly half of them have retired. Instead of recruiting new permanent staff, the urban body has been hiring people on contract.
