India seems to always be out front in the use of biometrics. They are now going to begin using biometrics as a means to track the staff, including the priests, in Hindu Temples.
Major Muzrai Temples go for Biometric System
MANGALORE: Temples under the muzrai
department are going the corporate way to monitor work hours of
priests and other temple staff. More temples in DakshinaKannada
district are gearing up for biometric attendance for priests and
other support staff. Even priests have to enter the shrine after
recording their attendance on the biometric machine.
While Kollur Sri Mookambika Temple
introduced the e-attendance system a year ago, Kukke Sri Subrahmanya
Temple at Subrahmanya and Kadri Sri Manjunatheshwara Temple in the
city too have joined the ranks recently. Temple authorities find it
easy to maintain work records of archaks and other staff with this
system.
Puttur assistant commissioner H
Prasanna, who is the administrative officer of Kukke temple, said
they successfully introduced the biometric attendance system in the
temple offices a week ago. "We have 517 staff, including
priests, and all have to record their attendance through the
biometric machine. We have made it compulsory for temporary staff
too," he said adding that the system helps the administration to
monitor the work effectively.
Kadri temple executive officer Ningaiah
said all the 34 staff, including priests, in the temple record the
attendance through biometric machine. The temple has 26 permanent
staff and eight temporary workers, he added.
Kollur temple, which has about 250
staff, including priests and contract staff, introduced the system
during the tenure of Kota Sreenivas Poojary as minister for religious
endowment. He had instructed all prominent temples under the
department across the state to introduce biometric attendance system
to sort the issue of temple staff skipping work. All the three
temples under the department are prominent in the map of pilgrim
centres of the state as VIPs, including celebrities, keep visiting
the shrines.
