Shortage Of Staff @ Corp
At a time when it aims to implement major infrastructure development schemes and increase its revenue, the Coimbatore Corporation’s efforts for these are hit by shortage of staff. Official sources in the civic body say there are a number of vacancies in wings that handle revenue collection, sanitation and development. An official points out that the Zoo Director – who specialises in veterinary sciences – is the City Health Officer in-charge. This is because the posts of both the City Health Officer and the Assistant City Health Officer are vacant.The posts of Assistant Commissioners for South and East zones and that of the Personnel Department are also vacant. Four posts of Accounts Officer, Accounts Officer (Water Supply) and two of Assistant Revenue Officers are yet to be filled.
As many as 65 posts of tax collectors are vacant and this hampers tax collection. Of the sanctioned posts of 14 special revenue inspectors, there is only one inspector and he is to retire next month. There is only one meter reader (for water charges) as against the 36 posts sanctioned.The Corporation needs one tax collector for each of the 72 wards and one meter reader for two wards. Both tax collectors and meter readers are vital for the Corporation for revenue collection.Shortage of hands has always made the Corporation fall short of the target set for both Property Tax and drinking water charges collection.
There are only five of six Junior Assistants, as against the 27 posts sanctioned. As many as 40 persons have retired recently and this adds to the problems. As of now, posts are mostly filled only on compassionate grounds. The sources also said Coimbatore Corporation has only 24 sanitary inspectors and this strength is not enough to handle sanitation in 72 wards.Inadequate staff strength has hit the services that the Corporation should provide to the people. Most of the available strength is used for the ongoing tax revision and electoral rolls verification.
