According to recent news reports, several complaints have been lodged by the public regarding staff absenteeism in the PWD’s Ponda division. This has resulted in delays in public works and forced people to make repeated trips to the PWD office to get their work done. There is nothing new or surprising about this, as it appears to reflect the prevailing work culture in government offices and perhaps explains why many people seek government jobs. Nobody seems to know when tea breaks and lunch breaks begin or end, as even senior officials are often found missing from their seats during these hours. Years ago, the Sachivalaya (Mantralaya) in Mumbai faced a similar problem and was forced to curtail tea and lunch breaks and restrict canteen operations to designated hours. This reportedly worked wonders. A similar measure could also be tried in government offices in Goa to improve staff attendance, ensure greater accountability and spare the public the inconvenience of repeated visits.
AF Nazareth, Alto Porvorim
