The City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) has come under sharp criticism from the citizens group - Sajag Nagarik Manch for allegedly refusing to disclose employees’ biometric attendance records under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
The forum has termed the move a deliberate attempt to shield habitual late-comers and accused the administration of undermining transparency and accountability.
The RTI Application and Information Sought
According to the Manch, an RTI application was filed seeking certified copies of CIDCO’s decision on prescribed office hours, biometric attendance records of employees at CIDCO Bhavan between September 22 and 26, 2025, details of disciplinary action taken for violation of office timings between October 1 and 28, 2025, and information on whether salaries are linked to biometric attendance as per state government policy.
In its initial response, CIDCO reportedly asked the applicant to pay fees for 199 pages of documents. However, the forum alleged that after expressing willingness to pay, the administration delayed sending the payment challan and later denied the information on technical grounds.
Rejection Under RTI Section 8(1)(j)
Upon filing a fresh application, CIDCO rejected the request citing Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act, stating that biometric attendance constitutes “personal information.”
The Manch has challenged this stand, arguing that in-time and out-time records of government employees form part of their public duties and cannot be treated as private information. It further alleged that CIDCO incorrectly relied on the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Girish Ramchandra Deshpande case, which pertains to confidential service records, not routine attendance logs. The group also claimed that the Central Information Commission has repeatedly held that attendance records of public servants fall within the ambit of public accountability.
Allegations of Lax Work Culture
The forum has additionally alleged a lax work culture at CIDCO headquarters, claiming that senior officials often arrive well after official hours and observe extended lunch breaks beyond permitted limits. It also accused the administration of threatening citizens with legal action for attempting to photograph or record late-coming officials, despite the absence of any officially notified ban on photography within the premises.
Raising concerns that biometric attendance is not linked to payroll software, the Manch suggested that the absence of such linkage weakens financial accountability for late attendance.
The group has demanded immediate intervention by CIDCO’s Managing Director to ensure transparency and disclosure of the requested information. It has warned that failing corrective action, a formal complaint will be submitted to the Maharashtra Urban Development Department and the Chief Minister.
The PRO department refrained from making any comments.
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