Services of 11 civic body officials terminated

Ludhiana, October 16

The Municipal Corporation has terminated services with immediate effect of 11 officials, including nine assistant engineers (also called sub-divisional officers) and two junior engineers recently. These officials had been working on outsource basis with the MC’s operations and maintenance (O&M) branch for around past four years.

The MC’s O&M wing deals with water supply and sewerage related facilities in the city. Municipal Commissioner Pardeep Kumar Sabharwal said the contract of these officials had expired. So, they services did not continue, he added.

Earlier, many officials were served show cause notices over some reports in the past.

The Department of Local Government had issued advertisement for 670 posts of different cadres in 2015. The written examination for 456 posts in the department was supposed to be held in 2016, but it was cancelled as the question paper had leaked as per the information. Many posts in different branches, including O&M of the Ludhiana MC, are still vacant. “Due to shortage of the staff in operations and maintenance branch, the MC recruited assistant engineers and junior engineers on outsource basis around four years ago,” said an official.

The department had recently issued an order regarding recruitment of staff on outsource basis. — TNS