The State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) is reeling under severe manpower shortage.
Around 83 posts of Assistant Engineers and six Assistant Executive Engineer posts are remaining vacant. The recruitment has been done on contract and daily wage basis following the inordinate delay in filling up the vacancies. Only five permanent officials were available against the 66 posts of scientific staff in labs, according to the estimates by the State Pollution Control Board Engineering Staff Association.
The permanent posts have been lying vacant from 2015 onwards. The National Green Tribunal had also asked the government to fill up nearly 160 posts in 2014-15. The last permanent postings were done in 2008, pointing towards the serious staff shortage in the board, said M.A. Baiju, president of the association.
The association stated in a memorandum submitted to the government that those appointed on daily wage basis are handling crucial works in the engineering wing and the nearly 16 labs under the board.
Even though the Public Service Commission (PSC) has invited applications for the post of Assistant Engineers, the authorities have not yet published the exam date saying that the preparation of syllabus is progressing. Moreover, the PSC is yet to invite applications for filling up the permanent posts in the labs, it said.
Admitting that the board is facing severe staff crunch, A.B. Pradeep Kumar, Chairman of the board, hoped that the PSC would speed up the process of filling up the posts of Assistant Engineers. The posts of junior and scientific assistants in labs are also remaining vacant, he said.
The tasks undertaken by the board have gone up considerably, especially in view of the industrial clearances, inspections and legal proceedings pending before the tribunal and other courts. Without adequate manpower, it would be a herculean task to ensure timely completion of these works, said Mr. Pradeep Kumar.
