Stating that
it was within the jurisdiction of the council to determine as to how
the attendance of its employees is to be recorded, Gomes is learnt to
have take told the chief officer, Deepali Naik, to treat those
refraining from using the biometric attendance system as unauthorizedly
absent.

Gomes also drew the attention of the chief officer to
the government circular issued in November 2010 about the introduction
of biometric attendance system in all offices.

Gomes’ approval
of the MMC’s new attendance system follows a meeting held by him with
Naik in Panaji on Wednesday. Though the Goa municipal employees
association(GMEA) was also called for the meeting, there was no
representation of the employees at the meeting.

Speaking to TOI
later, Naik said that she would issue an order on Thursday, directing
all the employees to use only the biometric attendance system for
registering their attendance, as the muster roll system stands
withdrawn. “This order will supersede all earlier orders issued by me
over the biometric attendance system,” Naik said.

Unauthorized
absence following non-use of the attendance system will result in
deduction of wages of the respective employees, she added.

Significantly, Naik has already issued show cause notices to over 60
employees last week for failing to record their attendance on the
biometric attendance system that has been implemented in the MMC
since April 16. Asked about it, Naik said that the show cause notices
would stand and it would reflect in the service records of those
employees.

The GMEA
is opposing the new attendance system on the grounds that there is no
such provision in the statutes governing the service rules of the
municipal employees.

Naik, when questioned, dismissed the
argument. “The MMC is an autonomous body, and therefore whatever orders
or circulars are issued by the chief officer, they are binding on the
employees,” Naik stressed.