PMPML will now be able to hire more contractual workers PMPML will now be able to hire more contractual workers The BOARD of Directors (BoD) of the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahandal Limited (PMPML) has decided to revert to the “establishment act” that governs recruitment, promotions and salaries of its staffers and was brought into effect in 2013 before being put on hold and then getting replaced by a new plan. Due to the decision, the stay on promotions and fresh recruitments in certain departments will be on hold enabling the PMPML to hire more contractual workers, promote staffers whose promotions are due and induct people on “compassionate grounds”. Announcing the decision Saturday, Pune Mayor Mukta Tilak and Corporator Siddharth Shirole, both of who serve as directors on the transport body’s BoD, said the new plan formulated by former chief Tukaram Mundhe, cannot be implemented due to legal entangles. “At the meeting, the PMPML’s 2013 Establishment Plan has been approved with immediate effect. The PMPML staffers were opposing the new 2017 plan and the decision will also boost their moral. It will help us increase their efficiency,” said Shirole. Naina Gunde, the chairperson and managing director, PMPML, said the imbroglio was negatively affecting the morale of the workforce, as due to confusion about the Administrative Plan, …. recruitment that was to be done on “compassionate grounds” and promotions that were due for months could not be processed. “Instead of waiting for the court order on the issue, we decided that we should re-enforce the 2013 plan so that at least we have some rules in place for carrying out essential functions. So, a proposal was put before the BoD and it was approved. Once the matter is decided by the court regarding the 2017 plan, the board will take a decision. It was important for us to have the plan in place and the board has approved the proposal,” said Gunde. Workers’ union of the PMPML that had moved the Bombay High Court over the 2017 plan calling it unjust, has welcomed the move. “The 2013 plan prepared by the Central Institute for Road Transport is a much better plan than that prepared by Mundhe. When the 2013 plan came up, the union had raised a few objections. There were hearings and it was about to be finalised based on our inputs. But Mundhe prepared a new plan. We are not sure if the 2013 plan has been approved with the suggestions we had given. If they haven’t been included, we will press the administration by our democratic right to protest,” said Rajendra Kharade of the PMPML Workers’ Union. During his 10-month tenure, Mundhe had finalised a new administrative plan for the transport body that aimed to streamline the recruitment and promotion rules among other things – touted to cut down on the “exorbitant expenses” that the transport body was incurring on staff salaries. Mundhe said the staff-wise expenses of the transport body had gone up by 55.85 per cent in just six years between 2009-10 and 2016-17. In 2009-10, the PMPML had 10, 236 employees and Rs 192.25 lakh was being spent on wages. It was 45 per cent of the total annual expenditure with the per employee per day expense being Rs 358. In the 2016-17 fiscal, when the number of employees came down to 9,743, the expenditure went up to Rs 516 crore with the per employee per day expense being Rs 942 and the expenditure on staffers being 55.85 per cent of the total annual expenditure of the PMPML. Mundhe had said it was an unhealthy ratio for a company and hence he formulated new establishment plan which by restructuring the staff posts, payments and perks. The finalised plan for a total of 11,384 posts with the revised rules and regulations for recruitment and promotions was also partially implemented by him before the Workers’ Union moved the High Court. It had also specified the number of posts that are to be filled through contracts, direct recruitment or deputation. For all the latest Pune News, download Indian Express App

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