Nagpur: In a special case, the Maharashtra Government on Wednesday relaxed norms related to establishment expenditure, and approved filling up of 7,503 new posts in Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC). This development will increase NMC’s sanctioned manpower to 17,981.
The move would provide much-needed manpower to NMC and help to streamline delivery of civic services. For NMC as a special case, the State Government has given relaxation in establishment cost of 35 per cent, thereby giving much-needed flexibility to civic bosses so that there is no compromise with civic services to citizens.
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Monday 31March 2025
While notifying the new staffing pattern, the State Government has also stated that the existing 2,705 posts will lapse once the person in that position retires. If the identified posts are already vacant, then the same would be surrendered. These posts were identified as part of reassessment of necessity of the positions, considering that they were sanctioned long back and were weighed against current requirements, said Additional Municipal Commissioner Ram Joshi. “The pandemic taught us a big lesson and hence in the new staffing policy, the NMC has pitched for creation of posts in the Medical Health Department,” he said.
Now, the Urban Primary Health Centres (UPHC) network would be strengthened as new posts of Doctors, general practitioners and specialists are sanctioned. In revision NMC have decided to let go posts of Medical Officer (Surgery), Medical Officer (Pathology). Joshi said each and every post that was not needed was vetted and its assessment was done keeping in mind the target of keeping establishment cost at 35 per cent as per the new mandate.
At present NMC staff strength is 13,183 and new 7503 posts are sanctioned for creation taking its total strength to 20,686. But from it 2705 posts would be abolished as they are no longer needed. The civic body has also got sanction for 872 new posts to be created in the Fire Brigade whose number of stations are increasing owing to expanding urbanisation.
The notification states that since NMC is A Class Corporation and its area has increased to 227 sq.km there was need for additional manpower to ensure proper delivery of civic services to citizens. The proposal has been in the works since the last few years and Municipal Commissioner and Administrator Radhakrishnan B sent the revised staffing proposal to the State Government in January 2023.
Although the State Government approved the new staffing pattern, it underlined that NMC would not get salary grants for the newly sanctioned 7503 posts. Means, NMC would have to bear the salaries of new staffers from its own pocket and hence again UDD has pointed out the need for increasing internal revenue generation to meet the administrative expenses.
Similarly the notification also pointed out that in the newly sanctioned 7503 posts includes 4721 posts of Sanitation Workers. Earlier, the State Government on September 20, 2019, had sanctioned 4407 posts of sanitation workers as cleanliness is a major thrust area these days for urban bodies. State Government also made it clear that NMC would not be able to post people in administrative cadre to Accounts/Audit posts and vice-versa. Similarly the civic body has been advised to outsource its services wherever needed or is possible.
Many departments have been working with lesser manpower due to vacant posts in NMC for the past several years. In addition, the establishment cost of NMC had increased by more than 35% in recent years. Municipalities with more than 35% establishment cost as per government norms had been denied permission to create new or fill vacant posts.
