The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has announced a new policy to tackle latecomers and unauthorised early departures. In a circular issued by the civic chief Rajesh Narvekar, it has been made mandatory to calculate salaries based on biometric attendance starting from June.
All contractual employees and officials are now required to mark their attendance using the biometric system upon arrival at the office in the morning. This directive aims to ensure better accountability and punctuality among the workforce.
Control and Monitoring of Attendance
The circular specifies that the head of each department will have control over the attendance of their respective officers and employees. This measure allows for closer monitoring of attendance and ensures that proper procedures are followed.
Salary Deductions for Unauthorised Absences
Salaries will only be deducted for absent employees who do not have prior permission and approved leave. To maintain better control over attendance and leave, the department heads must submit an attendance certificate along with the monthly salary statement. If no approved leave is mentioned in the certificate for a particular month, the corresponding day's salary will be deducted. The salary statement for each month must also include the attendance certificate from the previous month.
Biometric Registration and Certification
Officers and employees are required to register their biometric attendance using the machines installed in their respective offices. In unavoidable circumstances where attendance needs to be recorded on machines located elsewhere, the department head must certify and document the reasons accordingly.
The commissioner has also issued an order mandating the presentation of a monthly report on attendance and related matters by the first department head and office head during the monthly meeting.
Response and Suggestions from Alert Citizens Forum
Sudhir Dani, the founder president of Alert Citizens Forum, has long advocated for the implementation of biometric attendance. He welcomed the civic chief's decision, acknowledging it as a positive step in response to their persistent efforts. However, Dani emphasized that biometric attendance should be mandatory for officials.
“Apart from lower grade employees, biometric attendance should be made mandatory for officials too,” said Dani.
