Civic bodies told to regularise scientists to tackle dengue

NEW DELHI: At a time when the municipal bodies in Delhi should have invested in fighting dengue, which has become an annual menace, they spent about two decades fighting tooth and nail against the permanent appointment of seven entomologists.

The seven scientists were appointed in 1997 — a year after the Capital witnessed 423 dengue deaths and more than 10,000 patients — to monitor vector surveillance and vector density in each zone.

Entomologists are scientists who study insects.

Their services were extended from time to time because even after 18 years of hiring them on contract, the erstwhile MCD did not frame any rules to regularise them. This was even after the Delhi high court directed the authorities to be more meticulous in hiring the manpower to tackle the situation. The HC order came on a PIL filed after the dengue outbreak in 1996.

The municipal body contested two rounds of litigation against the seven only to finally lose it last week. The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) recently ordered permanent absorption of the seven and gave three months to the civic bodies — South MCD, North MCD and East MCD — to implement its order. The entomologists had moved the tribunal after the MCD did not respond to their representations to appoint them on regular basis.

The tribunal members, PK Basu and Ajay Kumar, said the entomologists were engaged due to the sheer need and necessity of the administration and in public interest. They cannot be later denied regularisation. If there were no rules, CAT said the absorption of the seven shall be done under the draft rules on hiring contract workers and a final notification by the Delhi government can follow.

Pointing towards the importance of such entomologists in the civic body, the tribunal said dengue continued to give Delhiites sleepless nights. “Therefore, there is a great need for the services of entomologists even as on today in Delhi,” read the tribunal’s order.

CAT referred to MCD records to note that the corporation had itself decided to establish the entomologist unit in each zone.