After strenuously denying the existence of bogus employees in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, the civic agency on Wednesday accepted that there was a “gap of 22,853 employees.” What’s more, it accepted that it has been paying Rs 17 crore per month as salaries to these non-existent employees, which totals up to a stunning Rs 204 crore in a year.

The Times of India had reported on June 30, 2009, that there were thousands of ghost employees in MCD and they were regularly drawing salary. In other words, crores of taxpayers’ money was being siphoned out of MCD in what would appear to be a well-established swindle. When asked, MCD had said it had no idea about these ghost employees or for how long salaries were being disbursed to them.

A large number of ghost employees came tumbling out of the MCD cupboard when the biometric system of attendance was introduced. The mismatch between the number of employees drawing salaries and the number marking attendance showed up glaringly.

Said Delhi mayor Kanwar Sain: “There is a gap of 22,853 employees in the MCD between the data given by drawing and disbursing officers (DDOs)/head of the department (HODs) and the number of employees enrolled for biometric attendance. We will carry out an in-depth vigilance inquiry and will study each case.”

He added that “strict disciplinary action will be taken against defaulting officials. A report on this matter has been forwarded to the L-G.” MCD had initiated the biometric system of attendance in August 2008 in certain departments and had decided to extend this system for all its employees.

Prior to this, no survey was carried out by the civic agency to determine the exact number of its employees, while MCD officials had said on June 30, that between 1.30 lakh and 1.75 lakh officials were employed with the civic agency. In July, MCD commissioner K S Mehra had denied the existence of ghost employees, saying that only 567 MCD employees had not come forward to register with the MCD. Mehra refused to comment on this when contacted on Friday.

Most of the missing employees are said to be safai karamcharis working in the sanitation department of MCD. The sanitary inspectors and darogas (assistant sanitary inspector) manage the ewjidar (adhoc employees) and mark the attendance of both the bogus and absentee employees. In case of ghost employees, many daily wagers who are made permanent later on are there only on paper. Many would have stopped working for MCD years back but their name was never removed from the list maintained by the civic agency.
MCD sources said the nexus is not confined to the sanitation department. This is very much prevalent in all other wings of the corporation, including horticulture, works, health, library, etc. According to officials, this practice of marking bogus attendance is more prevalent in MCD’s 12 zonal offices.

Added the mayor: “We hope to improve efficiency and bring about greater transparency in the working of MCD with the biometric system which has been set up at a cost of Rs 22 crore.”

Civic agency’s figures of sanctioned posts and the number of daily wagers have also changed since July.

They had earlier claimed that there were 1,29,615 sanctioned posts while on Friday the number given out was 1,19,706 posts.

Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has topped the corruption chart with about 4,300 cases.

It is followed by Delhi government, Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and Delhi Police.

There are about 457 corruption related cases against the Delhi government employees including 137 from Delhi Jal Board (DJB).

The DDA and Delhi Police where 305 and 133 officials respectively were facing corruption cases. Interestingly, 18 senior DDA officials have retired without their probe been completed.

According to MCD’s Vigilance department, as many as 4,299 cases were pending against 3,350 officials. Out of the registered cases, 1,435 cases were by anti- corruption branch of the Delhi Government, Police and CBI whereas 2,877 such cases were registered by its own vigilance wing.

The Delhi Police said that various criminal cases against 133 personnel were pending against serving officials since Jan 2008.

The cases were pending against eight inspectors, 12 sub inspectors, 18 assistant sub inspectors, 28 head constables and 67 constables.

The most corrupt,  Municipal Corporation of Delhi.

Finally a confirmation of what is already known, but little is done about.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is the most corrupt body in the country, possibly the world. A recent Right to Information query has confirmed widespread graft in the municipal corporation with as many as 4,400 corruption cases pending against about 3,400 employees, who range from peons to junior engineers. Strangely they are still employed and continuing with their money making rackets.

Try and get a housing plan passed. Or get a completion certificate for a building….and you will have to deal with these corrupt government officials. Nothing moves without greasing their palms. Refer to my story of how buildings that openly flout all norms and a great show was made of knocking down portions, stand today all patched up, mocking the citizens of Delhi. The corporation has allowed 3000 unauthorised colonies to spring up, violating Delhi’s master plan. There are thousands of buildings which extend on to government land and this has been done in connivance of the junior engineers of the corporation, who are supposed to keep watch on the building activity in the city.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) dominates the civic body having secured 164 seats in the 272-member MCD House in 2007. The Congress, had made a similar sweep in the 2002 polls.
Both the dominant parties are responsible for the state of things in the Capital.

The recent parliamentary elections in which the Congress swept all the seats in the Capital, has jolted the MCD into action. Check out the following item -
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Delhi/Poll-struck-MCD-jolted-into-action/articleshow/4572829.cms

Here is an old news item, but it tells you a lot of the attitude of those men and women responsible for overseeing the functioning of the corporation -
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/after-laptops-mcd-councillors-now-want-men/422418/