Phagwara Municipal Corporation is struggling due to shortage of employees

Jalandhar: Municipal Corporation Phagwara, which has 50 wards, is currently grappling with acute shortage of staff due to which residents who pay regular taxes are being deprived of many essential facilities which should otherwise be provided by the Municipal Corporation. The Tribune correspondent found that out of the total 68 sanctioned posts of clerks and other officials in the Municipal Corporation here, 58 are lying vacant. Punjab Local Bodies Minister Dr Ravjot Singh, who visited the corporation office on Friday, faced difficulties when many residents apprised him of their problems, which included encroachment, non-functioning of street lights in many areas, potholes on roads and blatant violation of rules. Though the minister assured the residents of resolving their problems soon, one wonders how this will be possible without adequate staff. Municipal Commissioner Navneet Bal, who is also holding the post of ADC (General), told The Tribune today that the posts of joint commissioner and secretary of the municipal corporation are also vacant, while one of the two posts of SE is vacant.

Besides, four out of five sanctioned posts of assistant engineer, six out of eight sanctioned posts of junior engineer, four out of five posts of building inspector, all four posts of superintendent and two posts of accountants are vacant for a long time. Besides, 35 out of 40 sanctioned posts of clerks are vacant for the last several months. Interestingly, the municipal commissioner wrote several letters to the director of the local bodies department, claiming to have sent the last request on September 27, but nothing has been done about the vacancies. Meanwhile, Punjab Local Bodies Minister Dr Ravjot Singh told The Tribune that the department will soon be fully computerised for the convenience of residents. He was responding to a query regarding problems being faced by residents in paying various taxes online, especially property tax and sewerage bills through apps like Paytm or Google Pay etc. Dr Ravjot also assured the people of removal of encroachments in the area falling under the jurisdiction of Phagwara Municipal Corporation. He promised the people of Phagwara that he would get all the potholed roads repaired on priority basis. Former Minister Joginder Singh Mann, District Planning Board Chairperson Lalita Saklani, Improvement Trust Chairman Kashmir Singh Malhi, Ashok Bhatia, Market Committee Chairman Tavinder Ram, Santosh Kumar Gogi, Lal Chand Lali and other dignitaries of the society were present on the occasion.