Be on Time

Thanks to P Chidambaram’s punctuality and work ethics initiative, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) at North Block can today boast of a pro-people work paradigm as is found in advanced countries where work is the best religion. Following the installation of a fingerprint attendance system based on biometric scanners — Chidambaram’s brainchild — on September 1 at all MHA offices, employees are grappling with the new time factor meant to contribute to meaningful office work, failing which they will now be required to do extra work at the end of the day to compensate for their late arrival. Also, a 10-minute delay three times a month will be counted as one day’s casual leave. Chidambaram hopes that people would ‘‘absorb the spirit and the purpose with which this system has been introduced’’. His initiative is also meant for sending out ‘‘a message to the whole country that everybody must do his work for the allotted time’’. On ‘‘flexi time’’ he says he will ‘‘introduce some flexibility but the flexibility is if you come 10 or 15 minutes late, you have to work another 10 or 15 minutes’’. This newspaper has all along advocated work culture in government offices where the practice of arriving late and leaving early has almost been institutionalized and where there is no fear of punishment for delinquency because there is no precedent and all are great contributors to the aberration. Therefore, we congratulate the Union Home Minister for having made a good beginning to discipline MHA employees. Now it is time for all other ministries and departments too to emulate the Chidambaram system so that one is paid only when he works and punished when he errs, which is the very principle of work. We believe if there is anyone who needs to be disciplined the most in that way, he is the Asom government employee. Let Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, therefore, take a cue from Chidambaram. THE SENTINEL