By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Whether it is MUDA or MTC, every Government created institution functions like the fiefdom of ministers/chairpersons.
Take the case of MUDA. It is set to become another white elephant which is eating up the Government resources mainly for payment of salaries to excess staff employed by the authority.
Sources revealed that the revenue generated by MUDA is hardly commensurate to the total amount spent for payment of the salaries to the staff.
“At present, MUDA is incurring a monthly expenditure of Rs 30 lakh every month for paying staff salary,” sources told The Shillong Times on Monday.
At present MUDA’s main revenue comes through collection of fees from the parking lots, from building permission fees amongst others, sources informed.
“MUDA has been able to pay salary to the staff through interest earned on corpus funds deposited in the banks” sources said while adding that Urban Affairs department has also given a one time assistance to help MUDA tide over the financial crunch mainly for payment of salaries.
It is learnt that MUDA would not have been in this financial crisis if it was not over-staffed.
According to sources, the actual requirement of staff in MUDA is only 61. “But shockingly there is a total of 174 staff in MUDA at present,” sources said.
Sources also alleged that some of the political masters are responsible for pushing their own people as employees of MUDA.
It is an open secret that many of the political masters in the past had been using MUDA as an employment agency for their constituents and political acolytes, the sources added.
At present, there 17 Sectional Assistants working in MUDA as against a sanctioned post of only one, sources said.
“There are a total of ten cleaners and six peons working in MUDA out of which, there are only two sanctioned posts for cleaners and one sanctioned post of peon,” sources informed.
Of the 17 Lower Division Assistants (LDAs) employed currently only seven are sanctioned post. The 23 parking attendants and 14 Home Guards employed by MUDA are non-sanctioned posts.
“As per the records, there are many other non-sanctioned posts in MUDA. This excess employment has thrown MUDA into a deep financial crisis,” sources added.