NHAI against staff inclusion in cadre

The strengthening of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) by creating its own cadre has been delayed further, as its board has rejected a proposal to absorb 50 per cent of the existing staff into its own cadre. The authority currently has only around 10 per cent of the present staff as permanent employees and the rest are on deputation.

The NHAI board also has members from the road transport ministry .

“A proposal was forwarded to the board of directors to expedite the creation of our own cadre, since we need to step up our capacity building for the enormous task ahead as envisaged by the minister. But now that has been turned down, meaning more time will be lost,” said a senior NHAI official.

Though NHAI officials say this could have initiated the process of creating the cadre, would have saved a lot of time, which would be wasted in the long recruitment process, officials from the road transport and highways ministry are in favour of a ‘fair’ and transparent’ procedure to induct officials to avoid any controversy.

One prerequisite to build roads at the rate of 20 km a day is to build cadre at NHAI and Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Kamal Nath has always insisted on the same. Nath had also termed the authority as a ‘transit lounge’ where everyone (officials on deputation) is ready to leave.

Senior ministry officials say though the board is opposed to the idea of clearing the names of 50 per cent of the present staff, those officials can be given weight. “The board of directors has recommended the authority to advertise the total number of posts to be filled and invite applications from all. Those already working in NHAI can get weight. Ideally, none should have any objection to this proposal,” said a ministry official.

Meanwhile, NHAI officials alleged that the ministry had the habit of keeping control over the highways authority. In the past also, the authority had come out with the absorption option for the existing employees but nothing had happened. “In 1999 and 2005, this option of absorbing the staff on deputation was out and we did the needful. But nothing happened after that. NHAI has lost many strong and valuable people because they could not be absorbed,” said another NHAI official.