Mumbai: The BMC’s clerical staff is currently facing an overwhelming workload, exacerbated by a severe shortage of personnel and the added responsibility of overseeing upcoming elections. With 41% of the clerical positions unfilled, the strain on the existing workforce has reached a critical point, leading to mounting concerns about their mental and physical well-being.
The clerical cadre, which should ideally consist of 5,560 employees, currently operates with just 3,300 staff members, leaving 2,260 posts vacant. This shortfall means that only 59% of the necessary positions are occupied, forcing the remaining staff to shoulder the burden of a workload far beyond their capacity. As a result, delays in essential municipal services and issues related to employee management and retirement settlements have become increasingly common.
The municipal union has raised these concerns with the BMC commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, highlighting the immense mental stress under which the employees are forced to perform their duties.
Despite their dedication, the clerical staff is struggling to keep pace with the demands placed upon them, particularly as they are also tasked with crucial election duties since the Lok Sabha elections and now Vidhan Sabha, and upcoming Mumbai Municipal Corporation elections.
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The BMC issued a circular on May 24, 2023, intending to fill 1,178 vacant posts in the executive assistant cadre through a selection process. However, out of the lower cadre of employees who applied, only 800 qualified for the promotion, leaving a substantial number of positions still unfilled.
The union is now urging the BMC commissioner to exercise the discretion granted under the circular to relax the selection criteria, specifically calling for the relaxation of the passing marks to 45%.
This adjustment, the union argues, is essential to ensure that the critical vacancies within the executive assistant cadre are promptly filled, alleviating some of the pressure on the overburdened clerical staff.
Without swift action, the continuing shortage of clerical workers threatens to further degrade municipal services, placing additional stress on the remaining employees and potentially compromising the efficiency of upcoming elections.
