KMC to take stern measures against absentee employees, says circular

Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will take stern action against those employees of the Health department who will not turn up for work.

The salaries of the errant employees can be stooped and they can even be put under suspension. The employees have been asked to join within 24 hours. There are over 6,000 Health department employees including contractual staffs.

A circular in this regard was issued by the personnel department on May 12. Copies of the circular have been given to the chairman and board of administrators.

To combat the spread of COVID- 19 the officers and staffs of several emergency departments namely, Health department, water supply department and solid waste management department have been asked to attend office.

It came to KMC's notice that some officials and staffs of the Health department were not turning up for work. Many of these errant employees stay close to the KMC offices that include the head office at SN Banerjee Road and 16 borough offices. These employees took advantage of the nationwide lockdown as leave with full pay.

The circular categorically mentioned that all the employees will have to join work within 24 hours failing which their salaries may be deducted or they may be put under suspension.

The circular has created ripples among the employees who felt that "issuance of this circular is arbitrary as many of the employees failed to reach office due to non-availability

of private and public transport."

Senior civic officials said that many of the Health department employees used to stay in the neighbouring districts and it became impossible for them to come to the office due to the non-running of suburban trains.

Also, as per the lockdown protocol, the employees will have to sit maintaining proper physical distancing. The Health department offices do not have such huge space so that all the employees can sit after maintaining physical distancing.