The City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO), known as the architect of cities, is grappling with a severe manpower shortage as more than half of its sanctioned posts remain vacant. Out of 2,797 sanctioned positions, 1,619 are lying vacant, leading to increased workloads for the existing staff and resulting in significant delays and inconvenience for citizens relying on CIDCO services.

The situation has demoralized many of the nearly 700 officers and employees due to stalled promotions across various cadres for several months. CIDCO, established in 1970, expanded its responsibilities significantly over the years, including integrating project-affected victims from 95 villages involved in the Navi Mumbai project into its workforce. However, with many of these employees retiring over the past 45 years and a freeze on government recruitment, the number of vacancies has steadily increased.

Despite the Board of Directors approving a proposal on June 15, 2016, to address the manpower shortage, CIDCO management has yet to implement it. This delay has rendered the committee’s efforts to assess workforce needs and associated expenses futile. Currently, CIDCO has 2,797 sanctioned posts, but only 1,178 officers and employees are active, leaving around 1,619 positions vacant. Additionally, approximately 300 employees are sourced through private manpower agencies.

The issue is particularly acute in the Engineering Department, where 15 Executive Engineer positions are sanctioned but 8 remain vacant, with 6 employees awaiting promotion. The situation is similar for Assistant Executive Engineers, with 16 out of 42 posts vacant. Promotions for these engineers are delayed until Superintending Engineer positions are filled.

The Accounts Department also faces challenges: 8 out of 21 accountant positions are vacant, with 4 awaiting promotion. Eleven posts for Accounts Assistants are vacant, and 11 are awaiting promotion. Additionally, 23 Accounts Clerk positions are vacant, with 4 awaiting promotion.

The Area Officer cadre is similarly affected, with 23 out of 47 sanctioned posts vacant. The Fire Department is understaffed too: 2 out of 3 Chief Fire Extinguisher positions are vacant, with 2 awaiting promotion. Two firefighters are also eligible for promotion.

Furthermore, in the Group-D category, 23 out of 49 posts are vacant, with 20 employees awaiting promotion to Clerk Typists.

This severe shortage and lack of timely promotions have hampered CIDCO's efficiency, slowing down operations and causing delays in service delivery. The existing workforce is under immense pressure, impacting morale and productivity, it is learnt.