MAPUSA
Despite facing a resource crunch, the Mapusa Municipal Council (MMC) decided to employ three lower division clerks (LDCs) to ostensibly tackle increased workload in the civic body.
In an ordinary council meeting held on Thursday, the council unanimously resolved to hire three LDCs on contract basis and also fixed their emolument at Rs 15,000 per month.
Interestingly, the Mapusa council was against the practice of hiring workers including clerks on contract and even suggested that the practice should be stopped forthwith.
“This council is in favour and accepts the recommendation of the committee that the practice of engaging “contract and daily wage labourers” be discontinued and the practice of outsourcing to be followed in order to prevent recurring liability to the council,” the Mapusa Council wrote in a letter to the Director of Administration in 2018.
While officials in the civic body claim that MMC is finding it tough in handling work due to increased services being provided by the civic body, sources informed that the performance of several permanent staff in the council was far from satisfactory.
“The permanent staff in the council are not performing their duties diligently. That is why they are engaging temporary staff just to cope up with the workload that MMC is facing today. Some of these permanent clerks are incompetent and to compensate these unproductive staff they are hiring staff on contract,” said Jawaharlal Shetye, a RTI activist and a resident of Mapusa.
He further disclosed that in the council, every LDC and UDC has an assistant to help them with their work.
“In other B class municipalities, the LDCs and UDCs perform their duties on their own. It’s only in Mapusa council that they have an assistant to help them which speaks volumes of the performance of the staff,” he said.
According to information received through the RTI, Mapusa Municipal Council has a total of 212 permanent staff. These include 12 LDCs, 6 UDCs, 4 municipal inspectors, 8 supervisors, 5 peons, 15 drivers, 133 workers cum sweepers besides other staff and officers.
Apart from this permanent staff, the council has 220 daily wage workers at its disposal to carry out outdoor manual work.
