NMC willing to fill up post on contractual basis
Nashik: The fire department of the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) is suffering from manpower crunch. The fire department has around 68 posts vacant in it. From chief fire officer to Fireman, all these posts are vacant in NMC. The forth force of defense and most important emergency service for citizens has been neglected by the NMC.
The fire department is working without chief fire officer and an additional charge has been given to a station officer. There has not even promotions given in the department since 1992. The last recruitment process was conducted in 1994, in which 95 firemen were appointed in the fire department. The current staff is also qualified for senior posts but no promotions been given.
NMC administration has given proposal to government to fill up the posts. The Corporation has decided that, till the posts are sanctioned by the governments the vacant posts will be filled up on contractual basis. The current officials have opposed the proposal of the Corporation to fill up the posts on the contract basis.
An official from the fire department said, “The fire department is forth force of defense after arm forces. It is an emergency service and very important for the citizens. The contractual labour will not work with dedication, as our work includes risk of life. He will not take risk as a permanent employee does, as we have the benefits if anything happens to us. It is nothing but a cheating with the citizens.”
City on high risk
Nashik city is on high risk due to the vacant posts in the fire department of Nashik Municipal Corporation. The last recruitment was done in 1994 as per the requirement of population. In 1991, the population of Nashik city as per census 1991, it was 6,56,925. It increased two and half times in 2011; the census 2011 show the population grown to 14,86, 053. Till now after 9 years of census it may have reached around 18 lakh. As per the population, the number of fire staff is way too low than the ration with population.
“There are posts vacant in the fire department of the Corporation. We have submitted a proposal to the administration which has already been forwarded to the government. The administration has decided to recruit the manpower on contract basis. The recruits will be taken who have completed the fireman course as per the guidelines of government and those candidates will only be selected for in the process.”
– Sanjay Bairagi, chief fire officer
