Faridabad civic body faces acute staff crunch

All the civic zones of the Municipal Corporation pf Faridabad (MCF) are facing a severe civic staff crunch, resulting in adverse impact on the cleanliness and sanitary conditions, it is reported.

With the civic limits of the city expanding to 46 wards having a population of over 24 lakhs, the civic body has around 2,900 cleanliness workers (safai karamcharis) at present, according to sources.

While a total of around 3,600 posts sanctioned for the MCF over two decades ago, there had been no recruitment of regular staff in this period, resulting in shortage of staff to attend the cleanliness work in the city. As the staff strength required to attend the cleanliness work on routine basis at present is around 7000, the outsourcing policy adopted by the Urban Local Bodies department has failed to address the problem.

“Sweeping and lifting of garbage and waste is not done for days and weeks together in many of the localities falling in various wards,” said an employee on condition of anonymity.

The zone wise staff crunch varies between 50 to 80 per cent. These include a shortage of around 1900 workers in Ballabhgarh zone , which has as many as eight civic wards having over 24 colonies and five villages.

While the collection and disposal work has been done mainly on an outsourcing basis, the majority of the colonies are faced with poor civic conditions due to inadequate cleaning and upkeep of the sewage system.

The zone has around 600 civic workers against the requirement of 2,500.

Similarly the Old Faridabad zone has been left with 848 employees against the required 2000, choked and blocked sewage network and non removal of the garbage dumped in open has been an issue that is yet to be resolved in a proper manner, claim the sources. The NIT zone of the MCF has around 1400 workers against the need of 2200, it is added.

“The MCF has resorted to outsourcing policy for cleaning the sewer lines as there is no regular post,” says Naresh Shastri, president, Nagarpalika Karamchari Sangh, Haryana. Against the requirement of 10,000 cleanliness workers and 2,000 sewermen, the civic body has 3,000 and 189 workers respectively, he says ruing unavailability of safety gadgets and equipment for the employees.”

Many families in my village have acquired their own tools to clean the choked sewage and drains as there is no response to such complaints,” says Sarasmal, a resident of Badkhal village falling within civic limits. The civic conditions have failed to improve despite the civic body headed by a battery of IAS and HCS officials, says Varun Sheokand, a resident.

Birender Kardam, Chief Engineer, MCF said that efforts were on to tackle the staff issue with recruitment made though HKRN or outsourcing basis.