Pune: Municipality Faces Staff Shortages as 71 Municipal Employees Resign in Last Year

Pune:
In a concerning revelation, it was found that over the past year, 71 employees of the municipal corporation have resigned. This development has raised concerns about the persistent issues surrounding staffing and recruitment in the municipality.

Due to ongoing recruitment-related litigation and a delay of more than a decade in securing final approval of service entry regulations, the municipality has been unable to make new permanent hires. Instead, vacancies created by retiring employees over the past 10 to 12 years have been filled on a contractual basis.

In 2022, after the state government lifted the hiring freeze, the municipal corporation resumed recruitment. Initially, it hired 448 personnel, including 135 junior engineers. Following that, a second round of hiring added another 320 employees, bringing the total to approximately 808 recruits across these two phases.

Despite these efforts, vacancies persist as 37 clerks, 10 junior engineers, 9 assistant encroachment inspectors, 8 firefighters, 3 divisional medical officers, 2 pharmacists, and 2 vehicle inspectors have recently resigned, once again leaving these positions in PMC unfilled.

Insiders report that employees have resigned due to the intense pressure of working under former councillors and public representatives, as well as mental strain from senior officials. Although these employees initially joined the municipal service after passing competitive exams, many cited health concerns and stress as reasons for their decision. However, senior officials from the administration department suggest that these employees found better job opportunities outside the municipal corporation, leading them to leave their posts.