CHENNAI CORPORATION: ‘Political interference delaying promotion’

By G Saravanan

Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai, on October 26, 2010:

CHENNAI: Discontent is slowly brewing among 534 Class-III staff of the Chennai Corporation working at Ripon Building and the urban body’s other offices after their promotion prospects have been reportedly stalled by political interference.

According to sources, the civic body had incorporated new byelaws into its Chennai City Municipal Corporation Act, 1919, January this year to regulate promotion chances of its class-III staff having identical pay scales.

Based on the byelaws, about 534 staff working as Assistants, Steno-Typist Gr II, Conservancy Supervisor, Computer-cum-Clerks, Assistant Cashier, Licence Inspector, Assistant Store Keeper and Asst-cum-Store Keeper were merged into one cadre owing to their identical pay scale.

Though the 534 staff were fixed under a single cadre list for promotion in future, only 72 of them were shortlisted for the post of Superintendent after meeting the conditions laid down in the byelaws (as on January 1, 2010) in September.

While the shortlisted staff were sure about their promotion within weeks, two members (political appointees) of the Chennai Corporation’s Appointment Committee stonewalled their prospects, one of the staff told Express on condition of anonymity.

The Appointment Committee comprises of four members, Mayor as its chairman; Commissioner as ex-officio member and two members, who would be nominated by ruling party for the key post.

According to sources, one of the committee members, Velayutham (Congress) was supporting a group of 86 staff who failed to qualify for the list due to its stringent conditions.

Since they were left out in the list of employees for promotion, he was stalling the process, sources said.

However, speaking to Express, Velayutham denied any political interference in the whole process. “Both the groups were contesting their seniority and the delay was due to them only.”

Strongly rejecting the charge that he was siding with the other group, he said, “We have no issues and the whole process can be completed if the Mayor and Commissioner give their nod for promotion.”

When contacted, Commissioner D Karthikeyan said, “We are sorting out the issue and it will be settled soon.”