Nagpur civic body's standing committee questions extension for agency supplying 249 computer operators

A proposal to extend the term of the agency that supplies computer operators to various departments of the Nagpur Municipal Corporation drew heated debate at the standing committee meeting on Friday. The proposal concerns the engagement of 249 operators. Several questions were raised on the employees' eligibility, the wages they actually receive, the agency's service charges and the cost of the contract. Congress standing committee members Abhijit Jha and Wasim Khan confronted the administration and demanded transparency in the new contract process.

Members asked what the educational and technical qualifications of the staff working as operators in the corporation actually are. The post requires a graduate degree, an MS-CIT certificate, and typing speeds of 30 to 40 words per minute in English and 30 words per minute in Marathi.

Members doubted whether all 249 employees engaged meet these conditions. They demanded verification of every employee's educational certificates and typing skills. They said that an appointment is not proper merely because the agency supplied the staff. The administration must ensure that the prescribed conditions have been met, they said.

The financial part of the proposal also drew the members' attention. The corporation's cost per computer operator has been taken as Rs 25,435 a month. For 249 operators over two years, this comes to about Rs 15.20 crore. Given such a large outlay, members asked for a clear breakdown of how much wage actually reaches the employees and how much service charge the agency receives.

A demand was also made to check whether the employees' Provident Fund (PF) and Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) contributions are being deposited as per rules. Jha and Khan said that before the new contract, the administration should present full details of wages, service charges and all financial transactions in a transparent manner.

Members also questioned the rising number of operators. Three years ago, only 150 computer operators worked in the corporation. The number has now gone straight to 249, and members asked how the need had risen so suddenly. They sought from the administration an account of the past two years' work and details of how many operators are deployed in each department.

The agency's contract had already expired on October 10. The question was raised as to why the new tender process was not started on time. Members asked why, when the administration knew in advance that the term was ending, a proposal for extension was brought at the last moment, and who is responsible for the delay. They demanded that all conditions be strictly enforced so that there is no irregularity in the new contract process and the corporation's money is properly used.