Bengaluru: The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) officials have claimed that there is a 40-50 per cent staff shortage, which is why some projects have been delayed.
While experts and NGOs who work with the BBMP acknowledge that there is a staff shortage, they ask why no staffers are being appointed to manage the requirement. They informed that many engineers and authorities are waiting for job openings that can be filled quickly to fulfil deadlines, especially in the areas of road construction, lake management, and garbage management.
One engineer is In-Charge of four lakes, or three to four wards. A single health officer is In-Charge of 4 to 5 wards. One KAS or IAS officer is In-Charge of more than three posts and is required to attend all government meetings. Meeting deadlines, visiting all locations, and taking on new projects has become a challenge with all of this, informed a BBMP official.
Experts admit that building capacity is a challenging task for the present cadre. “We need a municipal cadre, similar to the all-India civil services, where officials are given specialised training. Transfers are made to meet shortages without understanding the expertise and skills they possess,” said Srinivas Alivilli, Janaagraha’s head of citizen participation.
