After a gap of over 25 years, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has gone in for an enmasse recruitment for employees of various grades.  This is to cope up with the increased areas it has to cater to following the  incorporation of seven CMCs and one TMC into the fold of the BBMP.

Altogether 50,000 odd applications have been received as on date for 655 posts which are being filled-up, according to officials. “The figure is expected to touch 70,000 when the March 24 deadline for submission concludes,” a top official said.

Vacancies have been advertised for the posts of 150 engineers, 197 administrative staff, 78 sanitary workers, 193 helpers, 35 meter readers and two chemists.

The water supply connections provided by the BWSSB, inclusive of those in the newly added zones, has skyrocketed to 5.6 lakh from a figure of  1.3 lakh in 1985. 

“The irony is that in 1985, we had 3,700 staff and now we have only 2,349 on our rolls,” said BWSSB Employees Association president R Ramanna. 

Remained vacant

A total of 130 backlog posts reserved for the SC/ST categories that had remained vacant for over two decades were filled up one-and-a-half years ago and they have reported for duty a week ago. 

“There was an induction of 20 Assistant Engineers (AEs) in 1998 and a similar number of the same cadre in 2002. But it is only now after 1982 that an intake at all levels is being done,” he added. 

“Usually, we would have received something like two lakh applications for this kind of general recruitment but to filter the applicants we fixed an eligibility criteria of 60 pc marks for general category, 55 pc for other backward castes and 50 pc for the SC/ST category.

This has ensured that only individuals with some academic standards will apply,” the official added. The mandatory percentage requirement is the same for the Grade ‘B’, ‘C’ and ‘D’ posts though the qualifications range from seventh standard to an engineering degree.

To ensure only genuine candidates apply, the application form has been priced at Rs 50 and the DD amounts to be submitted for different grades range from Rs 200 to Rs 500. The candidates would be selected after a test, the date of which has not yet been finalised.

While BWSSB has a mere 2,369 employees, the following are the approximate figures of employees on the water supply boards of key cities.