The Railway Board has instructed the installation of biometric attendance systems for station staff to combat overtime claims irregularities. Prompted by concerns about duty swapping, this mandate follows advice from the Central Vigilance Commission to link digital attendance with overtime claims. Some staff worry these measures may cause unintended consequences, given the current lack of biometric systems and previous reliance on physical rosters.
The Railway Board has mandated that the general managers across 17 zones implement biometric attendance systems or facial recognition technology for all station staff. This action aims to mitigate problems associated with overtime claims and follows a recommendation from the Vigilance Directorate, which raised issues about the swapping of duties among Station Masters and discrepancies in overtime claims. In alignment with this, the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) recommended that biometric systems be integrated to establish a direct connection between digital attendance logs and overtime allowance (OTA) claims, thus enhancing accountability within the system. The Board’s directive highlights the Vigilance Directorate’s concerns regarding improper practices, specifically duty swapping by Station Masters and irregular overtime claims made by station personnel. To rectify these issues, the CVC proposed implementing biometric attendance systems, stating, “Biometric attendance machines or facial recognition systems may be installed for all station staff, including Station Masters, Station Supervisors, and Points men, and link these digital attendance records to the processing and admission of the OTA (Overtime Allowance) claims to enhance accountability in the system”. The Railway Board has called for comprehensive adherence to these recommendations to prevent further lapses. However, some station masters have expressed apprehensions regarding the potential negative impact of these new measures. Presently, there are no biometric systems installed at stations; staff depend on manually prepared physical rosters. A station supervisor noted, “There are very few cases of overtime claims and if there are irregularities, this should be dealt with case to case basis. Many station masters work for more than eight hours but don’t claim overtime. In case of biometric attendance, the overtime working hours will come on record and the Railways will have to pay for it which might turn out to be a counter-productive exercise for the Board.”
The installation of biometric attendance or facial recognition systems in railway stations is primarily a response to longstanding issues regarding overtime claims, particularly concerning the integrity of reporting by station staff. The need for a secure and accurate attendance method has been highlighted by the Vigilance Directorate, as claims of duty swapping and irregular overtime reporting have raised red flags. By linking attendance records to overtime claims, the Railway Board aims to foster greater responsibility and transparency, ultimately improving the accountability of its staff. This move comes amidst growing scrutiny from oversight bodies like the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), which advocates for technological solutions to enhance efficiency and reduce discrepancies in staff management.
The Railway Board’s directive to implement biometric attendance systems is a significant attempt to curb the irregularities surrounding overtime claims among station staff. While this initiative is aimed at enhancing accountability and reducing fraudulent claims, concerns from station masters about potential counterproductive results highlight the complexity of managing overtime work and attendance. The integration of technology in attendance tracking promises to streamline processes, but the operational impact on staff behaviors and compensation remains to be seen as this initiative rolls out.
Original Source: www.financialexpress.com
