The Hindu : New Delhi News : MCD bid to check worker absenteeism

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Thursday, Jan 17, 2008
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New Delhi

MCD bid to check worker absenteeism

Staff Reporter

Thumb impressions would be recorded thrice daily: Mayor

Would do away with the signing-the-register system
Would ensure that employees are unable to escape their work shifts

NEW DELHI: Beginning this coming February, attendance for Municipal Corporation of Delhi “safai karamcharis” will be recorded by means of a biometric system based on thumb impressions.

‘Cool the earth’

Speaking at a seminar on “Collection, segregation and transportation of waste -- Cool the earth initiative” here, Delhi Mayor Arti Mehra said thumb impressions would be recorded thrice daily to put a check on employee absenteeism: “By making the thumb impression system mandatory, we are doing away with the ancient signing-the-register system of recording attendance. This new practice is being implemented to ensure that the over 46,000 safai karamcharis report for duty every day.”

Ms. Mehra said that as of now nearly 50 per cent of the safai karamcharis were known to remain absent from their routine work.

“Since anyone can sign in place of anybody else, the new system will ensure that employees are unable to escape their work shifts. Each employee will have to submit his thumb impression thrice in a day.”

Safety equipment

The Mayor also announced that the civic body would now provide the cleaners with gloves, aprons, footwear and other necessary items to enable Delhi to meet international standards of cleanliness in time for the upcoming Commonwealth Games in 2010.

She also declared that the MCD had plans of investing Rs.170 crore for removal and segregation of solid waste. The waste would then be used for generating power on the lines of the Bangalore model.

Power from waste

Delhi Government Environment Secretary J. K. Dadoo said the three plants identified for power generation from waste would be located at Timarpur, Okhla and Ghazipur.

“While the Okhla plant is expected to produce 16 MW of power, the Ghazipur plant would produce 10 MW. A pilot project for converting kitchen waste into compost by ‘organic waste converter’ is also being undertaken by the Delhi Government at the Delhi Secretariat canteen. This project can be replicated in all colonies by residents’ welfare associations and may also be installed in hotels and hospitals,” he added.

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