the goan I network
MAPUSA
After CCTV surveillance, it’s now the turn of GPS to monitor the whereabouts of the Mapusa civic employees.
In first of its kind, Mapusa Municipal Council (MMC) has unanimously decided to make use of technology to track the movement of its over 300 employees.
A GPS based tracking system “ in the form of an ID card or a wristband with a sensor chip embedded in it “ will ensure to keep a tab on the civic staff.
MMC Chairperson Ryan Braganza said the system would help in monitoring the movement of the employees during working hours.
“Many times, there are complaints that a particular staff is not present in office. The GPS concept will ensure that there is monitoring of employees at work,” Braganza said.
MMC Chief Officer Clen Madeira informed that the proposal for GPS enabled device for employees was to check the movement of the staff during office hours. “With this system in place, 90 percent of the employees indulging in mischief can be tracked,” Madeira said.
With the council giving a go-ahead to the plan, the next step will be to invite expression of interests from interested agencies providing the system. Once implemented, over 300 permanent and temporary employees of the Mapusa civic body will be covered under the system.
Madeira informed that the tracking system would be linked to the salary of the staff and whenever a particular employee was found not present or trying to cheat on the system, his or her salary could be docked.
Mapusa Municipal Council is the first municipality in the State to suggest implementing of the GPS tracking system for employees. MMC councillor Rajsingh Rane said the concept appeared good but opined that when it came to implementing proposals, the civic body was found wanting.
He also questioned whether there was an overlapping on the functioning of the biometric machine and the GPS tracking system.
The CO informed the council that biometric machine only records attendance but not the movement of the staff. Sounding a note of caution, councillor Madhumita Narvekar said some of the staff may find ways to misuse the system. “If it’s a wristband, then it could easily put on the hand of another staff to hoodwink the system.”
Hailing the concept, councillor Martin Carrasco suggested whether the same
concept could be used to track the movement of municipal vehicles.
