Can the physical condition of the offices be blamed for the inefficiency of its employees?
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is one of the richest civic bodies in India. However, its various department offices, including the building proposals department, are in bad shape. But can the physical condition of the offices be blamed for the inefficiency of its employees?
Picture this. Waste scattered everywhere. Files piled up in every corner. Paan and gutka stains painted on the walls. “People cannot imagine the atmosphere in which we work. The continuous smell forces us to get out of the office. Therefore, most visitors complain about officers missing from their desks. In the summer, we spend the entire day fanning ourselves. The fans are from the British era, consuming more electricity and providing less fresh air when the weather is humid. In the monsoon, our office is dotted with plastic buckets. Dust is ever-present and we are vulnerable to many ailments,” revealed a senior civic official on the condition of anonymity.
Another engineer from the building proposals department said there are no proper cupboards to keep the files and proposals. “Because of this, most developers prefer to keep the files in their custody even though it is not allowed. Therefore, in the building proposals department, most of the files are non-traceable and complaints get registered. We’ve asked the authority to provide more space to no effect,” he said.
Many of the office buildings are actually at the risk of collapse.
“In Byculla, we work in fear of our lives. We do not have adequate chairs to offer visitors to sit. We are squeezed in small and tiny cabins. We do not have canteens to eat food. There is no conference hall to take meetings. The unhealthy office atmosphere is killing our work instinct. If the authority will provide us central air-conditioning and other important facilities, then our efficiency will surely improve and we may pass many more files in a day rather than just sit and wait to get out,” added another senior civic official.
Milind Samel, from 1 Architectural Consultant said the corporation has now changed its Vikhroli building proposals office. "We should provide good working conditions to employees to encourage them to work longer and not feel tired easily. I hope, the BMC will change its other offices also," he said.
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