Ludhiana Municipal Corporation installs Aadhaar-based biometric machines to ensure presence of staff

To ensure presence of staff in offices, the municipal corporation (MC) has installed Aadhaar Card-based biometric machines in all the four zonal offices of the MC and every zone will have two such machines.

The staff has been ordered to mark attendance two times a day (at 9am and 5pm) and now their salary will be credited on the basis of their attendance. The employees have to mark attendance by 9:15am, otherwise, they will be marked absent. The employees, however, can mark their attendance at any of the zonal offices.

One of the officials requesting anonymity said, “Presently, the attendance of only subordinate staff, including clerks, inspectors etc, is being marked under the system. But, in the coming days, zonal commissioners will also mark their presence through these machines.” 

The official said, “Councillors used to complain that the staff, especially clerks, usually remained absent from seats. Normal biometric machines were installed in the offices earlier also, but these were not working, except one in the Zone D office.”  

However, the staff, who have to move to the field, are facing problems due to the system.The teh bazaari staff have to move to the field in the evening to remove vendors from roadsides. But, it was becoming difficult for them to return and mark their attendance in the office at 5pm, said the official. 

MC executive engineer Balwinder Singh said, “The MC had received directions from the state government asking the civic body to install Aadhaar-based biometric system in its offices. Two machines were made operational in the MC offices from September 1. Salaries will now be credited on the basis of attendance only.” 

“Presently, the attendance of subordinate staff is being marked in the system, but the machines are being updated and all the staff members will have to mark the biometric attendance,” said Singh.