New Delhi ,March 13: After directing his officials to verify whether there are “ghost employees”, Union home minister P. Chidambaram appears to have softened his tough line towards staff members at North Block. This change of line comes after The softening in his stand towards the employees has come in the wake of reports that many in the home ministry were continuing to report for work late and skipping the biometric attendance system recently installed there.

This “relaxation”, however, comes with a rider. An internal note circulated in the ministry earlier this week spelt out that those employees who come late and or leave early, citing medical reasons or social commitments, will be allowed to do subject to each person’s immediate superior giving his consent, but subsequently such individuals would have to work extra hours so that they fulfill their “40-hours-a-week” work schedule.
The ministry has also “allowed” employees to come 30 minutes late, given New Delhi’s traffic conditions, but such “work” hours lost while travelling to North Block will need to be compensated by “sitting late in the evening, preferably the same day or any other day of the week”, ministry sources said.
Representations made by staff members to home secretary G.K. Pillai last week drew attention to problems and doubts among employees about the usage of the technology-driven biometric attendance system installed in September 2009 vis-à-vis the “human problems” faced by them. Allaying fears in the minds of MHA employees, the new circular states that in exceptional cases such as consultations with doctors in Central Government Health Scheme dispensaries, hospitals and social commitments, late coming and early departure “upto two hours in each case”,will be permitted subject to prior intimation and consent of the immediate boss. This again will be acceptable only when such lost work hours are compensated by “such extra hours of work to ensure that the 40-hour work schedule for the entire week is maintained”.
The circular reiterates that strict adherence to office timings — from 9 am to 5.30 pm, including a 30-minute lunch break — is a must for all MHA employees on a regular office day.
A review of the home ministry’s biometric attendance system in January this year showed a steady decline in attendance. Against 1,549 employees drawing salary every month in the ministry, the biometric system recorded only 1,223 persons in September 2009, which declined to 1,168 in October and November and further to 1,087 in December 2009. This led Mr Chidambaram to wonder whether there are “ghost employees” in the home ministry.

 

Namrata Biji Ahuja