Assembly, Council Sectt, several Commissions flouting Guv’s directions on ensuring punctuality

Latest deadline of June 25 fixed  for strict compliance
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, June 21: In an unbecoming act, the Secretariat of Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, Council, several vital Commissions have been openly flouting the directions of Governor N N Vohra regarding punctuality of their respective staff members during the past over two years. Now, keeping in view the concern of the first citizen of the State latest deadline of June 25 has been fixed for strict compliance to the instructions regarding installation and use of biometric attendance system.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that while chairing the State Administrative Council meeting in February 2016 the Governor had stressed the need to ensure punctuality and discipline in attending offices by the officers and officials irrespective of their level. Accordingly, he had asked for installation of biometric attendance system in all the Government offices and other institutions.
Though majority of the Government offices installed biometric attendance system albeit not within the timelines fixed by the Governor yet Secretariat of Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council, State Accountability Commission, State Human Rights Commission, different wings of the State judiciary and Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs chose not to pay serious attention towards the directives of the Governor, sources informed.
“The non-compliance to the instructions aimed at ensuring punctuality of the staff is notwithstanding the fact that Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs dashed numerous communications to the Secretariat of Legislative Assembly, Legislative Council and Commissions for implementation of biometric attendance system during the past over two years”, they said.
What to talk of ensuring compliance these institutions have even preferred not to respond to the written communications of the Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, sources further said, adding “it seems that those at the helm of affairs in these institutions are of the opinion that they are not answerable to anyone and it is purely their discretion to decide whether to act or not on the instructions from any quarter”.
Disclosing that non-compliance was viewed seriously by the Governor during his first meeting with the bureaucrats after taking over the reins of the Government two days back, sources said, “the Governor has desired that instructions vis-à-vis installation of biometric attendance system should be enforced without any fail and has directed the Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, which is directly associated with the Legislative Assembly, Council, several Commissions and wings of judiciary, to enforce Rule 3(i)(ii) of Jammu and Kashmir Government Employees Conduct (Rules), 1971, which stipulates that every Government servant shall maintain devotion to duty”.
On the directions of the Governor, the Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs today issued latest instructions mentioning that those officers and officials who are still not registered on the biometric attendance system should register themselves without fail. “All departments and institutions where this system has not been installed should put in place the same by June 25, 2018 under intimation to this department”, the circular said.
“Late coming must always be reported to the immediate controlling officer and for any lapse on this account the concerned staff would personally be responsible”, the Law Department said, adding “attendance in the biometric system would be monitored on regular basis and the cases of habitual late comers would be considered for appropriate administrative action”.
In the latest instructions stress has also been laid on surprise attendance check at all levels. “All the officers and staff should mark attendance on the biometric system without fail and expected to be in their seat by 9.30 am/10 am as the case may be unless he/she has previously obtained special permission for late attendance”, the Law Department said.
When contacted, a senior officer of the Law Department said, “as the Governor is very particular to ensure punctuality in all the departments and institutions we are hopeful of compliance by Secretariat of Legislature, Commissions and other institutions within the latest deadline”.

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