CDA stops salary of 15 employees for ‘turning up late’ | Bhubaneswar News
Cuttack: Salaries of 15 employees of Cuttack Development Authority (CDA) were withheld on Friday for repeatedly turning up late to office, officials said.The disciplinary action comes after repeated complaints that some employees were arriving well past the scheduled office time, with many turning up only after 11:30 am or even 12 noon, which affected efficiency and daily functioning.“It becomes extremely difficult to ensure smooth functioning when key officials report at their convenience. We’ve had several instances where files were delayed and work suffered. The action is necessary to reinforce accountability,” said Sweta Kumar Dash, secretary of CDA.“The office can’t function properly unless there is discipline and office timings must be followed. Employees whose salaries have been withheld have been asked to submit an explanation and showcause for their tardiness,” Dash said.CDA officials said that timely attendance will now be closely monitored, and biometric attendance records will be reviewed regularly to ensure discipline. Sources said the delayed attendance of some staff members had become a pattern, leading to serious workflow disruptions.Despite repeated warnings and reminders, there was no significant improvement, prompting the CDA to initiate the strict measure.Sarthak Nayak, an employee of a private real estate company, said, “I welcome the move by CDA which was much required. Recently, I visited the CDA office to submit documents around 10:15 am, but had to wait over an hour because the officer concerned hadn’t arrived. Timely attendance should be non-negotiable in any public service setup.”
