Bhubaneswar: Government to introduce E-Muster roll to ensure transparency in wage payment

BHUBANESWAR: In a major step towards ensuring transparency in payment of wages to workers engaged in projects of different departments, the state government has planned to introduce E-Muster roll on October 2.
Chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday reviewed progress of the online system that has been proposed under the 5T model of governance. Under this initiative, muster rolls will be maintained in electronic format (E-Muster roll) that will ensure transparency and help prevent manipulation, said official sources.
The state works department will be the nodal department to carry out the initiative. “It is a critical step towards ensuring transparency and accountability,” said Naveen during the review.
The idea behind introduction of the E-Muster roll is to bring about transparency to the labour engagements and labour payments made by contractors, by getting all data into a single portal. It will also help ensure wages reach the intended beneficiaries by transferring money directly to the bank account of construction labourers, said a senior government official.
This will also ensure stricter monitoring of minimum wages and timely deposit of funds like ESI and EPF dues by contractors.
It was decided in the meeting that in the first phase, E-Muster roll will be implemented in projects worth more than Rs 10 crore in five state government departments which take up massive construction works like works, rural development, water resources, panchayati raj and drinking water and housing and urban development. The initiative has been introduced in as many as 75 projects of the five departments.
Naveen during the meeting also directed all departments to have a system in place by January 1, 2021, for universal implementation of E-muster roll.
The chief minister also emphasized on use of robust technology in implementing this initiative along with enabling legal frame work, state-level training of staff on the project and extensive information, education and communication (IEC) campaign for all categories of workers to make them aware of the system. “The reforms will be a game-changer in contract management,” chief secretary Asit Tripathy said, .