In a decisive push for greater transparency and accountability, the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation has issued a strict mandate requiring all its officials and employees to comply with an Aadhaar-based biometric attendance system. This move directly ties salary disbursement to the new digital system.
Commissioner's Firm Directive on Salary Linkage
Municipal Commissioner Amit Kumar took a firm stand on the issue during a high-level review meeting held on Wednesday. The meeting was convened to assess the sluggish progress in integrating the biometric system, which was originally slated for implementation in November.
Expressing clear dissatisfaction with the repeated technical and administrative delays, Commissioner Kumar issued unambiguous instructions. He declared that salaries for the month of December would be processed only for those employees who have successfully linked their attendance to the Aadhaar-based biometric system. The order is absolute and allows for no exceptions.
End of Physical Verification for Payroll
The commissioner directed all department heads and branch in-charges to ensure immediate and total compliance with this mandate. He further emphasised a significant procedural shift: from December onwards, physical verification of attendance records will no longer be accepted for salary processing under any circumstances.
This step effectively makes the digital system the sole and mandatory gateway for payroll authorization, closing traditional loopholes.
A Drive for Transparency and Curbing Malpractices
Highlighting the core rationale behind the strict order, the Municipal Commissioner stated that the Aadhaar-linked biometric attendance system serves a dual crucial purpose. Primarily, it is designed to eliminate the long-standing issue of 'ghost employees' from the civic body's rolls. Secondly, it is expected to significantly enhance overall transparency and accountability within the organisation's daily operations.
The corporation's move underscores a growing trend in public administration across India, leveraging technology to streamline processes and ensure the integrity of public funds and workforce management.
