Members cutting across party lines expressed concern in the Territorial Assembly on Thursday over government officials not attending duty on time and urged the government to introduce biometric cards in offices.
Members from AIADMK, Congress and ruling AINRC said officials don’t come to office on time and even after coming they are often not available. A standard reply being given by them is that they have gone to attend meeting or are on inspection.
Raising supplementary questions, AIADMK floor leader A Anbazhagan said that around 80 per cent of the officials are unavailable in offices at 9 am though office time starts at 8.45 am. Also there are a good number of officials who do not turn up before 10 am. Even after coming to office, if we go and enquire about the officials, we get an answer that they have left the office to attend meetings or inspections, though no one knows for what meeting and inspections they go on a regular basis.
Some MLAs alleged that many of them on the pretext of such meetings and inspections attend to personal work.
While one official is unavailable on a particular day, another official next to him is unavailable the next day. As a result work remains pending, said Congress MLA and former Revenue Minister Malladi Krishna Rao. Some officials work in the office at a particular time and he can be met at that particular time only, he said. This should be corrected by introducing biometric mode of entry and exit in government offices.
Another Congress MLA and former Home Minister E Valsaraj expressing the same views said that though there are officials who work beyond office hours, others should remember that behind every file someone’s life is involved. If it is cleared on time the benefit will reach the people, he said. He also wanted the government to introduce biometric entry and exit system.
Similar grievance was also expressed by AINRC MLA P Angalan.
Earlier replying to a question from AINRC MLA G Nehru, Chief Minister said the administration is yet to get any such complaint. However, steps would be taken to ensure that meetings with higher officials will be held in the evening only.