After several failed attempts, the Kochi Corporation is once again trying to track the attendance of its staff using the biometric punching system.
A few biometric units have been installed at the main office of the local body on a trial basis. The employees have been instructed to start using the system, which is yet to become fully operational. There are some issues to be sorted out before extending it to the whole office. Keltron, the government agency, which installed the system has been asked to make it foolproof, said a Corporation official.
Deputy Mayor T.J. Vinod said the system was being tried again for the past few weeks at the main office. After the successful installation in the main office, the electronic attendance system would be extended to all the offices of the civic body including the zonal office. Keltron would perfect the system for the Corporation, he said.
Many did not take kindly to it
The civic body had been attempting unsuccessfully to introduce the system for quite some time. The move had earlier invited the wrath of a section of the employees who resisted the move. As the system proved useless, the Corporation had abandoned it, inviting the wrath of auditors. The disapproval of the auditors was mentioned in the audit report for the fiscal 2013-14.
Though the stock register maintained by the civic body indicated that Keltron had handed over equipment worth Rs.15.58 lakh to the local body, there were inconsistencies in the stocks, the report said.
Pointing out several discrepancies in the introduction of the system, payments made and maintenance of the stock register regarding the equipment purchased, the auditors objected to the release of Rs.10.04 lakh for the project. The auditors also suggested that the local body take steps to avoid such wasteful expenditure in future.
