KMC’s biometric attendance evokes good response

Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation’s recent implementation of biometric attendance in all departments has evoked good response with all KMC staff and workers taking the matter seriously.

The civic body had kicked off the system of biometric attendance from its Solid Waste Management department and has recently made it mandatory for officers and employees under the main building of KMC, Hogg Building, Roxy Building, Hudco Building, IT Building, Environment and Heritage, Town Planning and Town Development (TPTD) etc. “The response towards biometric attendance has been very good with all staff and workers taking it very seriously. A good number of staff who have to perform field duty are registering their attendance through an app which is embedded in the biometric system,” Mayor Firhad Hakim said.

Officials from departments like Water Supply, Building, Solid Waste Management usually have to be on field on a regular basis. The work diary app captures and uploads a picture of their respective sites and this is considered as their attendance for the day. A senior KMC official said that the existing system of maintaining manual attendance registers at all KMC buildings has been discontinued.

There have been allegations against some officials and employees for coming late or leaving office early. The biometric system will improve the work culture and hence the delivery of civic service by the KMC will also improve.

The introduction of a biometric system to record the attendance of the employees was decided many years ago but it could not be implemented due to the Left unions.