Striking a discordant note, a section of employees and faculty members of the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (NIRDPR) reportedly gave a representation to the management over deduction of salary based on biometric attendance.
Some faculty members were shocked to find about ₹50,000 deducted from their salary for the month of July when the newly-introduced biometric attendance system came into effect only from July 18. “Strangely biometric attendance was introduced retrospectively. It was illegal and arbitrary,” they alleged.
The biometric system was introduced without addressing the technical glitches and was discriminatory as some employees were targeted with salary deductions and there was no transparency nor any standard procedure, according to some faculty members.
A request was also submitted seeking the details of biometric attendance and salary deductions of all the employees of NIRDPR, including Director General (DG), Deputy Director General (DDG) and Registrar, and to repay the deducted amount.
Another grievance is that the biometric system was introduced without proper trial and it threw up many technical glitches resulting in discrepancy but the salary was deducted promptly. It was also said that no data on biometric attendance and salary deduction of all employees had been shared.
NIRDPR Director-General W. R. Reddy, however, rejected the allegations of discrimination and said biometric attendance was part of the institute’s policy. Clarifications were given to faculty and staff who raised issues related to the system and the deducted amount was being returned for now. But the biometric attendance system would continue to be in force and everyone including DG, DDG and Registrar were covered under the biometric system. “Everyone has to fall in line and no one can consider themselves above others,” he said.
Mr. Reddy said if faculty were on tour or leave, the system would record it and it would not adversely impact their functioning.