Ranchi, Feb. 6: The state urban development department has assured civic authorities that it will look into the acute manpower crunch in these organisations.

The department also pulled up some of the municipal bodies, including Dhanbad, for failing to utilise funds allotted for development activities.

Officials of the urban development department, headed by secretary R.K. Srivastava, today held a marathon meeting with the top functionaries of all the municipal bodies to review their performance.

Sources informed that some of the civic authorities have made an emphatic request for additional manpower to streamline its administration.

Some of these civic bodies, the officials claimed, were working with a manpower nearly 30 to 40 per cent less than the stipulated number.

“We are aware of the manpower crunch that some of the civic bodies are facing. We shall inform the state government so that additional manpower is provided to them and the work done properly,” Srivastava told The Telegraph.

Sources further said that the department has sought details from the municipal bodies about the existing manpower and the sanctioned strength.

Based on the inputs, the department will approach the state government for additional force.

Srivastava also pulled up some of the municipal authorities for tardy utilisation of funds that were allotted to them.

“The municipal bodies of Dhanbad, which have failed to utilise even 50 per cent of the funds provided to them so far were told by the department bigwigs to ensure that the funds are utilised properly before the end of this fiscal. We shall keep an eye on that,” one of the sources said.