Armed with GPS watch data, Panchkula MC mulls pay cut for absentees

PANCHKULA: The municipal corporation (MC) has decided to issue show-cause notices to sanitation employees missing from work after monitoring the data from the GPS watches worn by them from next week.
Municipal corporation commissioner-administrator Sumedha Kataria said the employees will be asked why their salary should not be deducted for remaining absent from duty. She said the purpose is to make the employees accountable. Till date, no action has been taken against employees for remaining absent except issuing them a warning letter.
Last year, employees who damaged the watches manually were taken to task. Officials said 28 employees were punished for damaging the watches by recovering the cost of the watch, Rs 8,000, from their salary. After this action, there has been a reduction in the number of employees showing reluctance in wearing the watch or trying to damage it, officials said. Official said the monitoring of absentees is easy through a control room as the corporation had got geo-fencing done of all the wards.
No health issues from GPS watches: Municipal officer
In case an employee leaves the ward during working hours, the information reaches the control room. On the basis of this data, showcause notices will be issued.
Earlier, the authorities were dependent on a supervisor to issue a warning to errant employees. Official said a technical consultant has been appointed to look into cases of faults with the watches. Kataria, however, said there has been no complaint about any health-related matters due to the GPS watches.
In June last year, 956 sanitation workers were issued the wristwatches for recording of attendance, prevention and control of misuse of the manual attendance system, maintenance of transparency, accountability in operations and weeding out fake workers.
Official said that there 90% improvement in attendance after the move.