With the Municipal Corporation of Dehradun facing lack of employees for long, the mayor Sunil Uniyal ‘Gama’ said that the required employees would be selected well before the model code of conduct for the general election is enforced.
However, the councillors from the opposition parties sound sceptical of the mayor’s statement. A majority of the councillors from various wards have stated that the selection process would take nearly six more months while the model code of conduct might be enforced in March.
Talking to the media persons on Wednesday, the mayor Sunil Uniyal ‘Gama’ said, “We are well aware of the shortage of the employees in the civic body. The crunch is the acutest as far as the number of sanitation workers is concerned. Now, the problem has further compounded with the inclusion of more wards in the jurisdictional limit of the civic body. The problem indeed warrants an urgent solution. We are, however, managing to maintain the proper sanitation of the city despite the staff crunch. There are around 400 employees we are seeking for recruitment and we have already given a proposal. Moreover, I have talked to the chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat about the matter. The appointment of the required employees would be done before the model code of conduct for the general election is enforced.”
Differing with the mayor over the proposed time frame of recruitment, the councillor from Dhamawala (ward number 26) Ninu Sehgal said, “The shortage of employees at MCD has been a longstanding problem. This is one of the main reasons for the civic body failing to rise up to the standards of service. Now there are 100 wards under MCD’s jurisdictional limit. Of course, MCD needs adequate staff strength to cater to the need of the expanded area. However, I do not think that the recruitment of the new staff would be done before the model code of conduct comes into force before the Lok Sabha election. I am of the view that the process would take six more months for completion.”
Notably, the councillors and the people have been continuously complaining about the nearly non-functioning sanitation system in various wards. “The mess deepened after 40 new wards were included in MCD in one go. At least 400 employees must be recruited in the civic body right now and if it is done it would to some extent ease the lack of sanitation problem plaguing the city,’ said another councillor.
