After 15 Years, Short-Staffed CMDA to Finally Recruit Planners

CHENNAI: The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority is intending to hire 15 assistant planners and 15 planning assistants (grade-1) using direct recruitment after struggling to fill positions for the past 15 years.

The planners would be chosen based on a 95-point online written exam and a five-point interview. Anshul Mishra, Member Secretary of the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority, said, "We are recruiting through Tamil Nadu e-governance agency (TNeGA)."

The applicants would also have to pass a Tamil paper, according to the member secretary. This comes after the state government issued an order requiring government employment applicants to pass the Tamil paper with a score of 40%. These new plans will be prepared in the next two to three months, according to Mishra.

The CMDA now employs 328 employees, compared to the sanctioned strength of 819. Due to a lack of staff, the CMDA has conducted recruiting drives by loosening the restrictions. "It will almost double our strength in one go," Mishra added, "and boost our internal capacity to undertake planning activities in a more qualitative manner."

This is also an ideal time for newly recruited planners to work here," the CMDA member secretary noted, "as preparations for the Third Master Plan exercise have just begun on the one hand, and the process of CMA expansion is also underway on the other." The online submission of application forms has commenced, with the deadline for submitting applications set for January 3. For more information, visit this link.