Over 53% of positions vacant in ULBs: MLC

Mangaluru: MLC Kishore Kumar Puttur said that the administrative machinery has completely collapsed in the state, stating that 53% of positions in the urban local bodies (town panchayats, municipalities, and city councils) remain vacant. He said the vacancy has been severely disrupting public services.During the ongoing budget session of the legislative council, the response given by the govt to an unstarred question posed by Kishore Kumar Puttur, regarding the vacant positions in the state's urban local bodies, was shocking. It was revealed that over 53% of positions in the state's urban local bodies are vacant, severely disrupting public services.Referring to the official written response provided by the govt during the legislature session, the MLC said that out of 36,134 sanctioned positions in urban local bodies, a staggering 19,509 positions are vacant. In group A, 112 out of 356 positions are vacant; in group B, 307 out of 408; in group C, 5,624 out of 9,856; and in group D, 13,672 out of 25,514 positions are unfilled, he said."With more than half of the staff absent, the administrative machinery of the state's local bodies has completely collapsed. Basic services that should be provided to the public have become elusive, and a dire situation has arisen where ordinary citizens have to run around offices for even minor daily tasks. Additionally, the few staff members available are burdened with other govt tasks like census and caste surveys, severely hampering the daily activities of local bodies. Furthermore, around 110 officers and staff from the civic service cadre are being deployed in other departments across the state, exacerbating the issue," he noted.Development activities in town panchayats, municipalities, and city corporations have come to a complete halt, with ordinary citizens in urban areas bearing the brunt, the MLC said and added that he has urged the govt to immediately initiate the recruitment process for all vacant positions in local bodies in the interest of the public.