HYDERABAD:The state government has decided to get tough with municipal, outsourcing and contract employees working in urban local bodies (ULBs) in the state by introducing biometric attendance for them.
After increasing the salaries of the municipal contract workers who went on strike last month, the state government has decided to discipline errant workers. The government was upset with municipal workers’ unions for staying off sanitation duties and leaving the city in the lurch.
The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has introduced the biometric attendance system a few days ago in certain circles on a pilot basis and it is yielding positive results. It is found that about 30 percent of the workers, on an average, do not attend to their duties.
The commissioner and director of municipal administration (CDMA) has asked all ULBs in the state, except GHMC but including the offices of the Regional Directorates of Municipal Administration (RDMAs), to adopt Biometric Attendance System. Any deviation from these instructions will be viewed seriously and disciplinary action initiated against the officials concerned as per the rules.
On June 29 the CDMA directed the ULBs to procure the BAS and implement the system from July 1. Yet, municipal commissioners have failed to adopt the BAS in their respective ULBs, resulting in improper and poor attendance of municipal employees and workers which, in turn, is hampering effective functioning of municipalities.
The commissioners of all ULBs have been directed to adopt BAS in their respective ULBs for all the regular, outsourcing and contract employees, including workers, by procuring the BAS machines. They were further directed to ensure that all the employees attend office by 10.30 am or by 10.40 am (with a grace time of 10 minutes) and upload their fingerprints in the BA machine both in the morning time and evening time before leaving the office without fail. In respect of outsourcing and contract workers, the shift timings as prescribed by the respective ULB should be followed and the work hours have to be strictly restricted to eight hours per day. The commissioners of all ULBs, except GHMC and RDMAs, have been told that discipline is the essential perquisite for efficient functioning of any office or organisation.