‘More than 60% posts lying vacant at HSPCB’

KARNAL: Nearly 63% posts of various cadres are lying vacant at the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB), revealed a reply sought under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

A Delhi-based RTI activist, Varun Gulati, had sought details of the Haryana’s pollution watchdog staff strength and was informed that out of total 481 sanctioned posts, 303 are lying vacant. Among the vacant posts are several key positions of technical and non-technical staff.

As per the reply, only 145 regular employees are running HSPCB, which has been given the responsibility to check and monitor pollution in the state.

The reply given by the public information officer of HSPCB mentioned that maximum 58 out of total 92 posts of assistant environmental engineer, 35 posts of clerk out of 46; as many posts of scientists in category ‘B’ and ‘C’, 15 posts of environmental engineer, and 24 posts of junior environmental engineer are lying vacant. The pollution control board does not even have required staff at key positions as two posts of chief environment engineer, as many posts of chief scientific officer, and nine posts of senior scientists are also vacant, showed the RTI reply. There also is shortage of Class C and D staffers as 36 posts of assistant, nine posts of driver, 10 posts of peon and two posts of senior peon are vacant while 21 peons and 12 field attendants have been outsourced.

Also, nine officials were given the additional charge and five officials have been appointed on deputation from different departments. In the reply, the public information officer also said that the requisitions were sent to the Haryana Public Service Commission and Haryana Staff Selection Commission to fill the vacancies. HSPCB member secretary Pardeep Kumar said, “Efforts are being made to fill the vacant posts as requisitions have already been sent to the recruitment agencies concerned.”