HMDA reels under staff crunch

​Hyderabad: The cash-rich Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Corporation (HMDA), which earned nearly Rs 1,000 crores in recent times with schemes like Layout Regularisation and e-Auction of plots is however handicapped by lack of sufficient staff thus affecting its functioning.

While the sanctioned posts are nearly 600, number of permanent staff presently working is just around 220. Also, nearly 80 officials from different wings are working in the metropolitan body under deputation. Permanent and under deputation staff combined together do not even cross the halfway mark which means nearly 50 per cent vacancies exist.

As a stop gap arrangement, the metropolitan body had hired over 200 skilled contract and outsourcing employees in the last few years so that works do not come to a stand still.

The ertswhile HUDA (Hyderbad Urban Developement Authority)'s jurisdiction was spread over 3,250 sq.km and it had nearly 650 sanctioned posts occupied by permanent employees. In 2008 HUDA was rechristened as HMDA and its jurisdiction also doubled to over 7,250 sq.km. The area to be covered has doubled, but not the sanctioned posts that remained like before at 600 only.  To go with this, there are more than 50 per cent vacant sanctioned posts at present.

It is only one-way traffic at HMDA with staff moving out of metropolitan body after retirement and other reasons and hence number of vacancies are increasing year after year.  The problem with temporary staff is that they cannot act as decision makers and just work as substitutes thus slowing down the process of file movement from one wing to other. This is directly taking toll on development activities.

Take the case of the crucial Planning department that is taking care of development permissions, clearing LRS files as well as conducting enforcement drives to curb illegal layouts and constructions. It has 110 sanctioned posts, but present staff count stands at 59 (permanent and deputation combined). With nearly 50 vacancies one can assume the work burden and pressure on the present staff to attend to all three aforesaid assignments.

Due to planning staff focusing entirely on LRS file clearances for the last six to eight months, the drive to check illegal layouts and constructs is not being done at a stretch and in all zones at a time.

By: Mahesh Avadhutha