No biometric system at RTOs: Sarkari Adhikaris go regularly irregular to offices

♦ Applicants have claimed visitors at RTOs often witness delays as staff and even officials report late for duty which results in unnecessary delays and increase in pending works

♦ They say they have been facing delays in work and inconvenience. City-based transport unions have urged the Transport department to install biometric system at RTOs to monitor attendance and punctuality

Hyderabad: With lack of biometric attendance system for the staff at the Regional Transport Offices in the city, applicants visiting RTOs allege there is no punctuality of officers and staff. They say they have been facing delays in work and inconvenience. City-based transport unions have urged the Transport department to install biometric system at RTOs to monitor attendance and punctuality.

Daily over 500-600 transactions are done in each RTA office. The services at RTOs includes RCs, DLs, C-books, duplicate licences, renewal cards and over 56 transport-related. Applicants have claimed visitors at RTOs often witness delays as staff and even officials report late for duty which results in unnecessary delays and increase in pending works.Telangana Auto and Motor Welfare Union general secretary M Dayanand says “different sections at RTOs start functioning late than stipulated time.

Every day each RTO office in Greater Hyderabad limits. Many visitors have witnessed delays owing to non-presence of staff at desks,” he adds.

Venkat Reddy, an applicant at Moosarambagh said “time on the application was 10 am and to be on time I was there by 9.45 am, but the officer came at 10:30 am. Work started at 10.40. The entire process of work was completed around 12.30 am; it was delayed due to non-punctuality of the staff. Applicants of different timings gathered and the work got delayed,” he added.

At Bandlaguda RTO it has been observed that visitors spend around one hour because of late reporting of the staff. Services also start late in the office. “Each day hundreds of applicants gather at the office . They are frustrated owing to delays in their transport-related transactions,” said Mohammed Mahmood Hussain Makke, an activist.

Dayanand say biometric attendance system would compel the staff to be on time. He said “the office hours begin at 10 am. Employees don’t report on time. It has been observed that RTO employees work hardly five and half hours a day. Considering the number of visitors and daily transactions, such a duration is very less.”

He said “moreover all government departments have made it mandatory for the staff to register their biometric attendance, but this has not been implemented for RTOs by the government.”

Drivers of transport vehicles, like auto-rickshaws and heavy vehicles face delays to complete the renewals and licences at RTOs due to late coming of the staff and absence of inspectors. The TAMWU has urged the administration to install biometrics system at RTOs offices and monitor the staff efficiency, said Dayanand.