Jharsuguda municipality faces 75% staff shortage, vice-chairperson seeks govt intervention
Jharsuguda: Jharsuguda Municipality is functioning with just 20 employees against 80 sanctioned posts, leaving 60 posts — or 75% of its sanctioned strength — vacant, according to a staff-position statement prepared by the civic body as on Aug 31.
Jharsuguda Municipality vice-chairperson Benugopal Panigrahi on Monday sought urgent intervention of the state government for filling up the vacant posts, saying the manpower shortage was affecting delivery of civic services, revenue collection, sanitation, administration and execution of development works.
Panigrahi sent a letter to housing and Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra, Additional Chief Secretary Usha Padhee, Director of Municipal Administration Arindam Dakua, Jharsuguda Collector Kunal Motiram Chavan, Jharsuguda MLA Tankadhar Tripathy and Bargarh MP Pradip Purohit.
According to the staff statement enclosed with the letter, the municipality has 80 sanctioned posts but only 20 employees are currently in position. Among the major vacancies are all 21 sanctioned posts of sweeper/sweepress, 10 of the 15 tax and fee collector posts, seven of 10 junior assistant posts, five senior assistant posts and all four zamadar posts. Both sanctioned junior engineer posts are vacant. Vacancies also exist in posts of head assistant, homeopathy doctor, work sarkar, peon/chowkidar and amin.
Panigrahi said Jharsuguda was witnessing rapid urban growth and increasing civic requirements, while the shortage of regular staff had put considerable pressure on the existing workforce. “The municipality requires immediate filling of all essential vacant posts to ensure timely, efficient and uninterrupted civic services to the people of Jharsuguda,” Panigrahi said.
He also highlighted the forthcoming retirement of the municipal engineer on Oct 31, saying it could further affect the municipality’s technical capacity and supervision of development works. Panigrahi sought deployment of adequate interim manpower until the sanctioned vacancies are filled.
“The government must take responsibility for addressing this critical manpower crisis without further delay and ensure that the required staff are deployed at the earliest,” he said.
The staff statement also shows that the municipality is using work-charged, contractual and outsourced personnel for some functions, including sanitation, electrical engineering, programme implementation and technical consultancy. However, Panigrahi said filling the regular sanctioned posts was necessary for effective functioning of the civic body. He urged the state government and elected representatives to take up the issue on priority in the larger public interest.
Jharsuguda Municipality Executive Officer Nishikant Tete said, “We have already intimated this to the department.”
