The working condition of various government departments can be gauged by the simple fact that a good number of employees have been taking things irresponsibly, especially with regard to absenteeism, which sadly is in vogue in J&K these days.
The reports in this regard are startling because the Block Medical Officer (BMO) Ukhral has withheld the salaries of three doctors posted at Primary Health Centre (PHC) Khari and sought their explanation within two days over alleged unauthorized absence from duty. This was not enough because another report of akin nature has come to the fore from Rajouri District exposing the extent of the problem of education department employees who prefer to play truancy at a gigantic level, as reportedly 919 staff members of the School Education Department, both from teaching and non-teaching wings, were found ‘absent’ on the digital attendance platform after which the officials were served explanation notices by the administration.
In both these cases, what has come to fore is that the government employees give two hoots to the attendance norms and hardly care about the edifice installed to check the punctuality and discipline of these staffers. What is intriguing in these cases is the fact that with such a large number of staffers remaining absent from duty without proper information to the department, one can guess the situation of the working of these vital departments concerning the healthcare and the education sector.
The government should revisit its mechanism to check absenteeism because there is a need to create a system which can identify the black sheep in the normal course of action rather than waiting for a surprise inspection or a special drive against absentee employees. The problem is grave and quite common across various departments of the Jammu and Kashmir government with education and health departments taking the lead.
One can say that there is no fun in installing a biometric attendance system or face recognition edifice for attendance until and unless there is a mechanism functionally extended to last point of public service office in even remote area and by monitoring regularly these technology-driven apparatuses because this is a must to abstain employees from playing truancy. The administrative heads must ensure that supervision at every level becomes more accountable and transparent. Stern action against habitual offenders, including suspension or termination, should be made a deterrent for others.
Moreover, the government must instill a sense of discipline, duty, and public accountability among its workforce through periodic reviews, surprise checks, and a transparent reward-and-punishment policy. After all, a government’s credibility is judged by the efficiency of its employees, and any leniency toward such truant behaviour will only erode public trust in the system.
