Daily Times

In the age of geo-fencing and facial recognition, our part of the world still hosts ghost employees and ghost campuses. The good thing, however, is that such employees are increasingly running short of options to hide and fetch salaries. Recently, 200 ghost and another 1,300 dubious employees have been unearthed in the Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department. This batch, the first one, came to light after a committee made to probe such cases in Sheikhpura traced several others in various districts of the province. According to a local daily, the committee predicts that the second batch may be even bigger as the number of ghost and other dubious employees are likely to be found in abundance. Of the 213 ghosts workers, 26 belong to Sargodha, 26 Attock, 16 Sheikhupura, 14 Sahiwal, 11 each to Jhang and Bahawalpur and 10 to Mianwali. The cases of ghost employees keep occurring here and there but no coordinated effort has been put in to eradicate their presence in official records once and for all. The discovery of the first batch should reach its logical conclusion. Ghost employees continue flouting rules and withdrawing salaries without doing work with the connivance of a chain of officials or officers. A high-level probe should trace all such officials and officers and make them an example of them.

Technology is the enemy of ghost workers, lazy workers and irregular and absent workers. Almost all corporate companies have installed biometric and facial recognition systems to record the attendance, presence and efficiency of their employees. Smart technology made wonders in fighting the dengue virus when the efficient usage of Android technology made it necessary for surveillance staff to reach all targeted areas. Moreover, technology makes it easier for supervisors to track staff and evaluate their performance. It is true criminals also devise ways to beat technology and steal precious resources. The efficient usage of technology as well as the human resources can defeat negative minds. It is high time that the government starts using both technological and social interventions for good governance and delivery. *