Gondpipri officials skip headquarters despite biometric attendance: residents
Residents in Gondpipri taluka allege most officers commute from the city instead of staying at their headquarters, despite biometric attendance rules.
The government has directed officers and employees to stay at their place of posting so that official work reaches villages in Gondpipri taluka on time. But residents allege this rule is being openly flouted in the taluka. Despite being posted in villages, several officers and employees commute daily from the city, forcing villagers to make repeated trips for government work.
Residents say the same is true of officers and employees who play a key role in the functioning of the taluka's gram panchayats. They allege that around 80 percent of officers do not stay at their headquarters but commute from the city, which they say directly affects office work and the services available to residents.
About 50 gram panchayats fall under the Gondpipri Panchayat Samiti, making the administrative responsibility at the village level considerable. Residents feel that when officers and employees are required to be present at their headquarters, this practice of commuting is slowing down administrative work in the villages.
Residents say the claim that 80 percent of officers and employees commute is an allegation that the administration must officially verify. They have demanded that the administration give a clear response by checking biometric records and conducting on-the-spot inspections.
A biometric attendance system has been put in place to monitor the presence of officers and employees, but residents allege it is not being properly enforced. They angrily ask what the point of the system is if officers and employees are still not present at their offices on time despite biometric attendance.
Responsibility for overseeing the entire matter lies with the concerned Group Development Officer, but residents allege the issue is not being taken seriously. They say that if there is no oversight or fear of action from senior officers, those who break the rule grow bolder.
The question now being raised is whether the government's directive to stay at headquarters will remain only on paper or actually be enforced. There is a demand for the concerned officer to conduct a surprise inspection to verify the actual attendance, biometric records and presence of officers and employees at their headquarters.
Residents say that despite the biometric attendance system, if officers and employees are not present during office hours, accountability for the system needs to be fixed. They have demanded that the administration take concrete action so that villagers are not forced to go looking for officers by making repeated rounds of offices.
