Staff strength in enforcement cell inadequate: CMDA officials

Chennai:

The existing staff strength in enforcement cell of Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) is highly inadequate considering development taking place in Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA), according to CMDA Executives Association.

The association, which held its general body meeting recently, has urged the management to strengthen enforcement cell with adequate staff and e-governance for better performance.

Interestingly, this comes in the wake of CMDA reorganizing its enforcement cell and naming four officials to head the four divisions of newly constituted Completion Certificate and Enforcement Action wings.

Surprisingly, the enforcement cell has been a place where the CMDA officials fear to tread due to inordinate delay in conducting enquiries. “It occurs mainly to officers who have worked in enforcement cells,” the association said while urging the management to expedite the enquiry procedure within three months so that promotional opportunity and peaceful retirement is not affected.

The blame lies on the manpower or workload involved in the enforcement cell and management should look into it before framing charges against the officials, the association said.

The association also observed that many officers are not posted to enforcement cell during the length of their service. Many top-level officers never worked in the enforcement section even in the level of assistant planner and became chief planner, it was observed.

“The management is requested to follow a clear transfer policy and each officer may be posted in enforcement cell for two years,” the association said.