Video surveillance in Kishtwar markets to 'caught govt employees roaming during office hours'

The Kishtwar district administration has ordered recording of random videos at market places, tea stalls and restaurants with high footfall to caught employees "wandering freely during duty hours" and check absenteeism in government offices.

The development comes 10 days after the salaries of 78 government employees were withheld for being unauthorisedly absent from their legitimate duties during a surprise inspection of various offices in the district, officials said on Sunday.

The teams would be positioned at strategic locations in Kishtwar town and its periphery and also at sub-divisional and tehsil headquarters, a move aimed at ensuring punctuality in government offices, they said.

District Development Commissioner (DDC), Kishtwar, Angrez Singh Rana Saturday issued an order for constituting various Video Surveillance Teams (VST) to keep a check on the movement of employees, the officials said.

The VSTs would record videos at market places, and strategic locations with high footfall and later identify the employees and thereafter the defaulters would be dealt strictly as per rules, the officials said.

"It has been reported that many of the employees are seen wandering freely during working hours in the markets/streets of Kishtwar town and other areas of the district especially at Sub Divsion and Tehsil Headquarters and may be involved in business activities," the officials said.

Further, Drawing and Disbursing Officers have been directed to compile office wise photo directory of district government employees and furnish the same to Deputy Commissioner's Office within a week's time, they said.