Biometric attendance made must for contract workers

In a bid to prevent employees from keeping away from work during office hours, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has directed all departments to adopt biometric attendance for contractual and daily wage employees, like regular staff.

The move is aimed to ensure that the staff – especially those posted as   sanitation workers and security guards - put in the minimum number of work hours and there is no loss to the exchequer through payment to staff for man-hours which they do not put in.

Kejriwal’s decision to check absenteeism from seat of staff, especially contractual, comes in the backdrop of his feedback that some contractual workers remained away from their desk after marking their attendance in morning.

“It is incumbent upon the Heads of Departments to ensure that the authorised person in marking his or her attendance and getting the salary for his or her work,” said an official note.

The system of bio-metric attendance was introduced in the 49-day tenure of the AAP government. At that time, the new provision had left a few employees complaining.

Sources said the bio-metric attendance system is yet to be applied uniformally in all Delhi government system.

Despite the General Administration Department’s  assurances, Kejriwal has got the feedback that there still are a huge number of contractual and regular employees who are not clocking-in and clocking-out regularly.

“It has been observed that the number of employees, including contractual and daily wage workers, are not attending office in time and sometimes they are absent from their respective offices,” said an official note.

“In order to ensure punctuality, the Competent Authority has directed that all the officials (regular/non-regular/contractual/daily wages – sanitation and security workers) shall mark their attendance on bio-metric system,” said the note sent to all department heads.

Stop exploitation

The initiative to discipline contractual staff comes close to Kejriwal’s efforts to stop exploitation of contract workers by their supplying agencies.

 After complaints of delay in payment of wages to contract workers by their agencies, the Chief Minister mandated that monthly salary of daily wagers should be paid by the 15th of the next month.

To safeguard the interests of contract workers, the Cabinet directed that “HoDs/Secretaries should use all powers at their disposal to ensure” that all employees get their salaries in time.

“If contractor fails to comply despite repeated attempts, HoD/Secretary shall be at liberty to cancel the contract,” said the Cabinet decision of March 22.

To centralise the hiring of contractual staff, the Cabinet decided that “the Finance Department will take steps to empanel agencies which can supply workers to meet the requirements of different departments. The departments shall be at liberty to engage requisite workforce from such empanelled agencies”.