To recruit civil engineers for BBMP, govt takes a shortcut

For the second time, the state government has taken a shortcut to hire civil engineers for a heavily short-staffed BBMP.

The Karnataka State Electronics Development Corporation Limited (Keonics), which was established to promote the electronics industry in the state, has been entrusted with hiring 72 assistant engineers, raising concerns over the quality of recruitment.

The 72 civil engineers will be hired for 11 months on a contract basis, the Urban Development Department (UDD) said in an order.

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At the BBMP’s request, the UDD approved the proposal to hire civil engineers through Keonics, which is exempted under Section 4 (G) of the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements (KTPP) Act. The engineers will be paid Rs 43,100 a month.

In June, the civic body requested additional staff to fill the vacancies that arose due to internal promotions.

This is the second time the government has made recruitments to the BBMP through Keonics. About six months ago, the civic body hired 125 assistant engineers through a similar process.

The new recruits are expected to ease pressure on the existing staff posted in wards as they are bombarded with multiple responsibilities due to staff crunch.

The UDD’s order, however, goes against the standard process of recruiting engineers through the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) or the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA). The last recruitment to the BBMP through a competitive agency happened about a decade ago.

Although the assistant engineers fall at the bottom of the BBMP’s organisational rung, they play a crucial role in supervising a large number of works of various scales. Their reports are critical for clearing payments to contracts.

A senior BBMP official said the engineers hired on a contract basis would not have signing powers.

“Their job is mostly supervisory, which involves fieldwork. They do not sign the measurement book (which is linked to payments for contractors),” S Rangappa, Special Commissioner (Administration) at the BBMP, told DH.

The BBMP, he said, submitted a separate proposal to hire permanent engineers through the KPSC.