Now, biometric attendance for sanitation staff

The idea is not to harass anyone but to ensure more transparency and honesty in the system. There is a requirement to clean up the system and ensure that all public money is utilised in a judicious way.

SANYUKTA BHATIA, mayor

LUCKNOW: To usher in greater transparency in the working of the Lucknow Municipal Corporation and weed out corruption from its departments, newly elected Lucknow mayor Sanyukta Bhatia has directed the municipal commissioner to ensure biometric attendance for all employees, including sanitation workers.

Bhatia has also directed the municipal commissioner to credit sanitation workers’ salaries directly into their Aadhaarlinked bank accounts, so that only genuine staffers are paid.

Ever since she assumed charge, the mayor has been visiting different areas in the city.

In some places, she found some sanitation workers to be missing despite their attendance being marked.

To recall, there have been accusations against private agencies engaged in the task of cleanliness. It has been alleged that they appoint fewer sanitation workers than what they officially show, to be able to fleece extra money from the municipal corporation.

With biometric attendance of sanitation workers and salaries being credited in Aadhaarlinked bank accounts, the possibility of such frauds would be minimised, said an official.

Explaining her position, the mayor said, “The idea is not to harass anyone but to ensure more transparency and honesty in the system. There is a requirement to clean up the system and ensure that all public money is utilised in a judicious way. The money should not go to those who don’t deserve it.”

She said that likewise she has ordered that attendance in all zonal offices of the corporation be marked through biometrically.

“Some offices deal directly with the public. They are here to serve. To raise the quality of LMC services, we need to be punctual. We cannot make people wait to pay their house tax or to take any license or permission from the corporation,” said Bhatia.

The mayor said she would continue to inspect various parts of the city and would prepare a report to periodically take up the status with the officials concerned.

“I will regularly review the performance of all LMC departments,” she said.