Nagpur: The Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM), like several other central government organisations, is facing a massive staff shortage.
Out of 1,477 posts in city-headquartered organisation, only 748 are filled up while 729, or nearly 50%, are vacant. Established in 1948, IBM is engaged in promotion of conservation and scientific development of mineral resources and protection of environment in mines other than coal, petroleum & natural gas, atomic minerals and minor minerals.
A reply to RTI queries of activist Sanjay Thul by IBM’s assistant administrative officer PP Deshpande, also the central publicity and information officer (CPIO), further informed that 72% of ‘Group A’ posts are also vacant due to late recruitment.
When TOI contacted IBM senior official, YG Kale, on reasons behind such large scale vacancies, he refused to answer stating that he was in a meeting.
According to Thul, even the top post of controller general has been vacant since over two years from May 1, 2018. Moreover, no one would become eligible for this top post till 2026, he claimed.
“The entire organisation is being managed with stop gap arrangements. The charge is looked after additional secretary or by joint secretary, instead of a permanent incumbent. All this is leading to non-filling up of vacancies that are increasing each year,” he said.
Out of 729 vacancies, 120 posts reserved for SC, 44 for ST and 128 in OBC category are vacant. In ‘Group A’ 131 posts have not been not filled up out of 459 sanctioned ones, in ‘Group B’, 143 out of 249 are vacant, in ‘Group B’ gazetted officers, 155 out of 243, and in ‘Group C’ 319 out of 516 aren’t filled up, the RTI reply by Deshpande mentioned.
“The massive vacancies are adversely affecting the working of organisation. It is also putting burden on remaining staff, as they have to do extra work,” Thul told TOI.
# Sanctioned & filled up posts at IBM:
Group------------- Sanctioned ------------ Filled ---------- SC------ST--------OBC
A------------------- 459---------------------131-------------- 16------09--------- 32
B------------------- 249---------------------143-------------- 17------08--------- 14
B (Non-Gztd) ---- 253---------------------155-------------- 20------06--------- 25
C------------------- 516---------------------319-------------- 67------21--------- 57
Total-------------- 1,477---------------------748-------------- 120------44--------- 128