MARGAO
From recording their attendance on a bio-metric face reader and now under the Closed Circuit TV (CCTV) Surveillance cameras, Margao Municipal employees are indeed under the scanner, with the City Fathers and the Babus hoping that the measures will help provide good and transparent governance to the citizens.
The municipal employees' union under the banner of the Goa Municipal Employees Association have said they have no objection to the measures provided the same does not result in harassment of the employees. On the other hand, Margao Municipal Chairperson Lyndon Pereira sought to reassure the civic employees that the biometric scanner and the CCTV cameras are not an attempt to harass the employees, but to ensure they report for work as per the office hours and are seated in their chairs.
When the biometric scanner was first introduced in the Margao civic body, the Goa Municipal Employees Association had strongly opposed the measure and had knocked on the doors of the High Court, before it was made clear that only employees and staff working in the municipal building will be brought under the purview of the finger scan and not the field workers.
Association general secretary Anil Shirodkar pointed out that the union has no objection to MMC’s decision to implement the biometric scanner and the CCTV cameras. He, however, warned that the Association will not tolerate any harassment of the employees under the guise of instilling discipline.
Sources in the know, however, pointed out that the biometric scanner and CCTV becoming a reality one after another has raised eyebrows amongst the employees.
For, it was not uncommon for some unscrupulous employees to leave their chairs during office hours for an unofficial tea break. MMC employees enjoying tea and snacks at the neighbouring tea stalls and hotels during office hours has been a routine affair over the years. It was often said that while the Chief Officer and Chairperson are normally seated in their respective chambers, the employees and staff were found seated in the adjoining hotels and tea stalls, making the citizens wait for their return.
That’s not all. Sources said it was not uncommon to find employees and staff leaving the office building around 5 pm to 5.15 pm for want of monitoring.
