More than eight years have passed when the then government introduced the use of Biometric Attendance System (BAS) in all government offices as a mandatory obligation to ensure punctuality, accountability and transparency. Despite the orders, the procedural delays and due to the crisis emanated on account of pandemic COVID-19 things remained subtle and the Biometric attendance was put into abeyance as a precaution against the merciless virus corona which wreaked havoc across the world. But thereafter life returned to normal and things were again restored but it is strange that in J&K the government is so sluggish and indifferent that some of its departments are still struggling to deal with their staffers who play truancy and are reluctant to follow rules and regulations.
It is a cruel joke with the people that Director School Education Jammu has turned so helpless that instead of taking strict action against the delinquent employees who are making the mockery of Biometric Attendance System (BAS) and their immediate bosses, who allow such wrongful practices under their noses, is giving warnings and asking the CEOs, ZEOs, Head Masters and Principals of schools to ensure compliance of aforesaid system introduced in the schools years ago.
Isn't it annoying that instead of issuing show cause notices and consequent strict action, the helmsman is giving chance after chance to the non-serious stuff manning the education sector of the region. If the system is defunct, then who will justify the expenditure spent on raising the edifice for BAS. This should be considered as corruption of highest order because on one side the teachers and masters are playing truancy and on the other the students are suffering but the man in charge is busy requesting his sub-ordinates to monitor things and report.
It is pertinent to mention that the Director School Education Jammu has enjoined upon all the CEOs of Jammu Division to pass instructions to concerned ZEOs and other subordinate offices to follow guidelines and submit the compliance report in the aforesaid case within two days. The big question is for how long such requests would be generated and the system will remain ‘Dhakka Start', because so many years have passed when the new attendance system was introduced with a hope to streamline schools and tighten noose around those who are habitual of playing truancy?
