Delhi Social Welfare Department to Install CCTVs After Biometric Device Tampering

The Delhi government’s social welfare department has ordered the installation of CCTV cameras across its offices in New Delhi to keep biometric attendance devices under continuous surveillance following repeated instances of deliberate tampering. The decision was taken during a recent departmental review meeting held after officials received multiple complaints regarding attendance systems frequently becoming non-functional.

An official stated that inspections by service engineers sent to examine the malfunctioning machines revealed evidence of intentional damage. Engineers found water inside a number of the faulty biometric devices. Department officials noted that these machines were positioned in areas where there was no nearby plumbing or any apparent natural source of water, indicating that the devices were being deliberately sabotaged.

In light of these issues, the social welfare department is considering the introduction of a mobile-based Aadhaar-enabled biometric attendance mechanism. The proposed system is planned to integrate with the Face RD application and utilize real-time location tracking. This digital mechanism is being evaluated specifically for department officials who spend a significant portion of their working hours performing duties outside their primary offices.

The review meeting further revealed administrative lapses regarding attendance reporting. Officials discovered that attendance summaries were not being submitted on a daily basis by several department offices. Consequently, all office in-charges have now been instructed to designate nodal officers specifically assigned to handle attendance-related matters and ensure compliance.