Opposition parties criticise door-locking system introduced by GVMC in Visakhapatnam

‘Such steps will increase the gap between people and officials’

To monitor attendance and number of working hours of the employees, the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) has introduced a door-locking system at the office. However, the system is not being well received by the opposition parties, who object to it claiming that such initiatives will increase the gap between people and the officers.

As part of the initiative, the corporation authorities have given ID cards to every employee. A GVMC employee enters into his work area (Department) only after swiping the card at the swiping machine fixed at the door. The card has to be swiped or scanned by the GVMC employee whenever they go out of the office and comes in. In the case of public who come to meet the officers for official work, the corporation has arranged a ‘help desk’ at the entrance. A citizen needs to enrol his name in the register and must give details of the officer he/she intends to meet and the purpose of the visit. After showing the slip at the department gate, the security scans the ID and allows them. However, the officials have given only a two-hour time slot (4 p.m. to 6 p.m.) as public meeting hours.

“This is not a new initiative, as such systems are seen in secretariat and many offices. The main aim is to check how much time an employee is spending in office, whether he or she is irregular or not following the time. Corporation has a large number of employees. It is our responsibility to ensure discipline among the workers. Moreover, we would also see which department is receiving more grievances. If any person comes to meet any officer again and again, we would also know why was he coming. Whether the grievance is not being resolved or was there any issue,” said GVMC Commissioner P. Raja Babu.

He said that they would have analysis report every week to check progress of the employees and the grievances list.

Corporator of Ward 22, (Jana Sena Party) P.L.V.N. Murthy submitted a representation to Mr. Raja Babu asking him to withdraw such systems. He said that the GVMC officers must receive public and the corporators, whenever they reach office in case of any issue and address them, but there should not be any specific timing. There was a small altercation between the JSP corporator and the Municipal Commissioner, when the latter informed that dedicated timings were allotted for public grievances.

Later, speaking to the media, Mr. Murthy said that even corporators are not allowed to meet the officers directly and they need to meet them only during 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. He said that GVMC is only corporation in the State to implement such systems.

Corporator of Ward 78 B. Ganga Rao from the CPI(M), condemned the move and said that bringing such a system without discussing it with the council members in the council meet, is not accepted.