By Arfat Khan
JAMMU: Facing acute manpower shortage, the employees of Jammu Municipal Corporation are toiling hard to maintain the civic amenities within the municipal limit.
Since 1977, the wards in the JMC have swell from 23 to 75 with area expanded from 32 sq Km up to 240 sq Km but strangely the permanent posts of Safai Karamcharis (SKCs) are still 1056 as it exists in the year 1977.
The grapevine however, is that even the services rules have not been changed since 1970 when as a matter of fact, the Jammu civic body in 50 years has transformed from Municipal Committee to Council and finally Corporation.
“The JMC is running on old and outdated 1970 service rules which were compatible to Municipal Committee’ said sources.
These outdated service rules have marred the promotional aspects of deserving employees and blocked doors for fresh recruitments in proportional to manifold increase in wards and areas of JMC limit.
This stagnation of SKCs over the years have given rise to a murky business of engaging SKCs through NGOs which is nothing but one of the biggest scandal in the history of JMC.
Terming NGOs system as white elephant, Rinku Gill, President Civic Safai Karamchari Union of JMC said “It’s discriminatory to keep static the posts of SKCs despite the fact that JMC has enlarged its jurisdiction to 75 wards”.
Similarly, despite no well meaning requirement of health officer after tranafer of food inspection part to Drugs and Food Control Organisation Department, still the JMC is carrying this redundant practice.
The Health Department sends on deputation one medical officer who generally on the verge of retirement to JMC as Health Officer who contributes nothing good for the betterment of JMC, said sources.
For sanitation purpose, the JMC have three zones headed by three sanitation officers. But, these zones are without assistant sanitation officers.
Likewise, every sanitary inspectors posted in these zones are over burdened with 6 to 8 wards on account of shortage of sanitary inspectors(SI).
Considering length and breadth of each wards, judiciously every SI entitle to give charge of 3 to 4 wards for effective supervision” said one officer.
For effective and better sanitation, the situation demands bifurcation of JMC wards into four zones headed by one Sanitation Officer each under the overall supervision of Chief Sanitation Officer who is well versed with managerial skills, asserted one officer.
In addition, the Housing and Urban Development Department need to recruit SKCs on permanent basis to synergise the sanitation wing to tackle the herculean task of keeping the Jammu city neat and clean, avers JMC sources.
Incumbent Commissioner have brought revolutionary transformation in the functioning of JMC and we are expecting change in services rules with benign hands of Commissioner Avny Lavasa, asserted one officer.
Surprisingly, In Srinagar Municipal Corporation, there is no such culture of NGOs exists besides the SMC have Chief Sanitation officers as well as Ward Officers and well knit grid of employees to carry forward smooth functioning of the corporation.
Currently, there are around 1500 SKCs engaged through NGOs on monthly honorarium of Rs 6700 besides 500 daily wagers.
Nearly 40 percent SKCs hired through NGOs only exist on papers, revealed JMC insider.
Even a major chunk of casual workers engaged as SKCs on the payroll of JMC are working as gardeners, drivers, cook and helpers at the residences of former JMC’s Commissioners and other influential officers who served JMC as Health Officer, Veterinary officer, Transport officer and of latest even some retired sanitation officers are also enjoying full time services of these daily wagers at their homes.
Interestingly, while Mayor of JMC Chander Mohan Gupta is busy in contemplating precarious situation arising on account of unauthorised commercial structures in the city and engrossed deeply in lane and drains issues, the situation demands pressing the highest authorities to augment required man power in an endeavour to precisely address genesis of problems ailing JMC.
Talking to JKGN Commissioner JMC, Avny Lavasa asserts “ Change in service rules is need of the hour to realign the corporation on development path” .The proposal has been prepared and submitted to the government for approval and hopefully it will be approved soon, added Lavasa.
(To Be Continued)