At a time when the three municipal corporations are unable to disburse salaries to its employees on time, a close look at the data shows that the same corporations are splurging as much as Rs20 crore per month or over Rs200 crore every year on nearly 15,500 “surplus” sanitation workers.
While the national Capital has turned into a dumping ground with the AAP-led Delhi Government and the BJP-ruled MCDs sparring over shortage of funds, a chunk of these “surplus” sanitation workers are eating into a big amount of corporations’ budget. Corporation sources claim there is a huge nexus between “surplus” sanitation staff and a few officials that is burning a hole in the pocket of the ailing civic bodies.
A detailed investigation revealed the sordid state of affairs as how corporations’ money is being wasted under the noses of top functionaries. The three corporations have nearly 70,000 safai karmcharis, out of which nearly 55,000 are permanent while remaining have been roped in as daily wages workers. Among daily wagers, there are three types of employees — contractual, substitute and sub-substitute or awaijdar in corporations’ lingo. As per the corporations’ norms, regular and contractual staff look after sanitation works. But when regular employees go on weekly offs/leaves, substitutes and sub-substitutes fill in their places by ensuring sanitation activities.
As all the MCD staff have to give thumb impression to mark their attendance especially after ghost employees’ issue, substitutes and sub-substitutes also follow the same. Investigation reveals that these daily-wage staff, after working for a few months/years, want their elevation from one rank to another and a nexus with regular staff, local officials and area councillor assist them accordingly.
“In majority of areas, regular employees take sufficient numbers of leaves to accommodate daily wagers. Once the daily wagers register entry properly, he/she moves for promotion/elevation. As such workers, in association with MCD’s permanent staff, take unfair advantage of corporations’ loopholes, they get their elevation easily.
“Temporary staff, eyeing on induction in permanent fold, register attendance and get induction through unfair ways. A temporary staff is liable to draw less than Rs15,000 a month, but after promotion as permanent staff, he/she draws CTC upto Rs35,000, which is a huge leakage from the MCDs’ wallet. With the process induction of new daily wagers take place fill their (promoted ones) places. In such circumstances, the corporations pay nearly Rs200 crore to permanent staff per month and parentally release crores of rupees to temporary staff which is a king of pilferage of corporations’ money,” said a councillor from one of the civic agencies.
Additionally, the three MCDs have divided their area into beats and each beat comprises nearly half-kilometre area. A total three regular staff and at least one contractual staff look after sanitation works of one beat. As there is a duty of eight hours, a total of 32 hours’ duty were fixed for one beat daily which is sufficient enough.
“The corporations have deputed three to four staff for one beat even when just one or two could manage the entire affair during eight-hour duty. When the agencies are reeling under financial crisis, corporations must depute such ‘surplus’ staff to other fields and should minimise duties of daily wagers by unearthing their nefarious business,” said another senior councillor pleading anonymity.