Govt to invoke ESMA to deal with doctors’ strike
‘Biometric attendance pays off as attendance in govt offices surges to 80%’
Srinagar, Jul 04: The Jammu and Kashmir government has decided to invoke the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) to deal with the strike called by the doctors in various health institutions of the state.
“The government cannot allow the hapless patients to suffer and in order to ensure that there is no disruption in the healthcare services, it has been decided that the ESMA will be invoked to deal with the strike called by the medicos,” a senior officer in the Health and Medical Education department said.
He added that ensuring adequate healthcare services had become even more imperative, especially in view of a flood alert sounded by the government due to the inclement weather conditions.
The doctors in government hospitals have been demanding that they be allowed to take off on gazetted holidays like other state government employees.
Meanwhile, the government today said that reinforced and effective implementation of the biometric attendance system in the offices has started showing tangible results with not only improved punctuality but it has also resulted in better service delivery.
“Attendance in the civil secretariat and other offices has witnessed a sudden jump to 80 percent from 45 percent since the reinforced inception of the biometric system,” said a statement issued by the General Administration Department (GAD) here this evening.
It said biometric time and attendance system has also improved workforce productivity, efficiency, and human resource management at all levels in the administration.
“The biometric attendance reports are generated and submitted by GAD to the Governor’s Secretariat on daily basis,” it said adding that similar reports are submitted by the Divisional Commissioners of Kashmir and Jammu to ensure punctuality of the staff.
