Bengaluru: The state government of Karnataka has sanctioned a total of 7.72 lakh posts across various departments. However, a recent report reveals that only 5.16 lakh of these posts have been filled, leaving a staggering 33.15 percent of positions vacant.
The findings of the 7th Pay Commission have raised concerns over the significant increase in the number of vacancies, highlighting the lack of a systematic policy regarding filling new posts.
A detailed breakdown of the data indicates that there are 94 government departments, with 5.16 lakh employees working in these positions. Despite this, the vacancy rate remains high at 33.15 percent. Notably, there has been a slight increase in the representation of women in the workforce, with 1,84,688 women currently employed, constituting approximately 36 percent of the total workforce. In direct recruitment, 33 percent of jobs are reserved for women, marking a one percent increase over the past five years.
Further analysis reveals the distribution of employees across different grade levels. There are 33,822 D grade employees, 4,27,264 C grade employees, 28,694 employees in Group B, and 15,604 employees in Group A positions. Notably, the education department accounts for the highest number of sanctioned posts at 3.08 lakh, with 45.8 percent of these positions currently filled. Similarly, the home department has 1.27 lakh sanctioned posts, with 20.42 percent of these positions lying vacant.
However, certain departments face more significant challenges in filling vacancies. For instance, the health department, which has 74,799 sanctioned posts, has only managed to fill 39,603 positions, resulting in a vacancy of more than 40 percent. The report also highlights a concerning trend of increasing vacancies in departments such as animal husbandry, school education, forestry, silk, revenue, finance, and horticulture.
Comparing data from previous years, the report reveals a worrying trend of rising vacancy rates. In 2013-14, the vacancy rate stood at 24.31 percent, which has since increased to 33.15 percent in 2022-23. Despite a marginal increase in the number of sanctioned posts over the years, the vacancy rate has continued to rise, indicating a pressing need for systematic reforms in staffing policies.
To address the shortage of staff, the government has allocated Rs 1,685 crore for outsourced employees working in 68,000 temporary positions. Additionally, an annual expenditure of Rs 250 crore has been earmarked for 7,000 daily wage workers. In the financial year 2022-23, the total salary expenditure for employees is projected to be Rs 35,467 crore, with an additional pension cost of Rs 20,666 crore.
The findings underscore the urgent need for the state government to review its staffing policies and take proactive measures to address the growing vacancy crisis. Failure to do so could have significant implications for the effective functioning of government departments and service delivery to the people of state.
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