Seven of 12 DTCP enforcement wing posts vacant

Gurgaon: The enforcement wing of the department of town and country planning (DTCP) is facing a major staff crunch and the high number of vacancies is affecting its functioning. After the recent transfer of two assistant town planners, it has been revealed that of the 12 sanctioned posts in the wing, 7 are vacant.
Some of these posts have been lying vacant for the past few years, undermining the department’s fight against illegal constructions and encroachments in the city. District town planner (enforcement) Ved Prakash said,“We have informed the senior authorities about the shortage of staff and increased work load. There is an immediate need to fill up the vacant posts.” While there are no assistant town planners, there are only two junior engineers in the department, which has five such sanctioned posts, and only one clerk against three sanctioned posts, Ved said. “There are only five officials in the enforcement wing in the Gurgaon district to carry out demolition and sealing drives," he added.

The existing staff is usually busy in filing replies for the ongoing court cases and other documentation work, leaving little time for enforcement duties. They also have to timely dispose of RTI applications.

After the formation of Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), the work load on the enforcement wing had increased, Ved said. Despite this, as per official records, the department has managed to resolve 88 per cent of the complaints received through the CM window.