Hyderabad Government Outsources Inspection of Indiramma Houses to Private Engineers

In a move aimed at expediting the inspection process for Indiramma houses, the Telangana government has decided to hand over the responsibility of inspecting these houses to private engineers. Initially, the government had outsourced the task to manpower suppliers, hiring 390 people through outsourcing. A notification for the same has been issued, with the last date for applications set for the 11th of this month.

Private Engineers to Take Over the Inspection Role

The selected candidates will be hired as assistant engineers and will work under the housing department. These private engineers will be contracted for a year, and the department expects them to resume their duties within the next two to three weeks. The engineers will be paid a monthly salary of Rs 33,800.

This move comes after a period when the government had initially utilized outsourced services to manage the inspection of Indiramma houses, following the previous administration’s large-scale initiative. However, with the revival of the housing scheme, the government has opted to reintroduce private engineers for the job.

Why Doesn’t the Government Make Direct Appointments?

Historically, the housing department had a sufficient number of engineers, especially during Dr. Rajasekhar Reddy’s tenure as Chief Minister, when the construction of Indiramma houses was started. During that time, some services were outsourced due to a shortage of government staff. However, after the formation of Telangana, the Indiramma housing scheme was scrapped, and the housing department was dissolved, merging into the Roads and Buildings department.

With the relaunch of Indiramma housing on a large scale, the government has now brought back some engineers working in other departments, but the total workforce still falls short of the required 505 assistant engineers. Currently, only 125 engineers are available, and there are no immediate plans to fill the remaining positions through government recruitment.

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Although the Public Service Commission (PSC) did not provide a clear recruitment plan in its latest round of exams, officials suggest that the outsourcing model will be extended to the recruitment process. For now, the outsourcing engineers, including the 125 existing engineers, will be tasked with inspecting and certifying the construction of houses.

Inspection Process for Indiramma Housing

The construction of Indiramma houses has already begun for 72,000 beneficiaries in the first phase. Of these, 12,000 beneficiaries have started the construction, with 500 houses reaching the basement level. Once the basement is completed, the first installment of Rs 1 lakh will be transferred to the beneficiaries’ accounts, but before that can happen, the work must be inspected and certified by the engineers.

The newly hired outsourcing engineers will play a crucial role in this certification process, ensuring that the construction meets the necessary standards before the financial release. The initiative is expected to streamline the housing construction process and facilitate timely disbursements to beneficiaries.

The Telangana government’s decision to outsource the inspection of Indiramma houses highlights the ongoing challenges faced by the housing department in terms of workforce shortages. While private engineers will help maintain the momentum of the housing scheme, the need for further recruitment remains a key concern. As the housing project progresses, the role of outsourced engineers will be critical in ensuring that the construction meets the required standards for beneficiaries.