‘Ghost workers’ are back

“Ghost employees” have come back to haunt the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). The fact-finding committee that was constituted by the civic body to investigate the “missing” 22,853 employees who did not exist in reality, has found that a number of people with the same name have opened various bank accounts.

“Ghost employees” have come back to haunt the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). The fact-finding committee that was constituted by the civic body to investigate the “missing” 22,853 employees who did not exist in reality, has found that a number of people with the same name have opened various bank accounts.

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According to the committee’s finding in the Shahdara (south) zone of MCD, 155 people have opened their accounts in the name of Sanjay. Similarly in Shahdara (north) zone 131 people have opened bank accounts in the name of Sanjay.

In addition, the committee has also found 124 people by the name of Vinod, 118 by the name of Rakesh, 114 Rajkumars, 112 Mukeshs, 110 Sunils, 36 Kamlas and 38 Rekhas. According to sources, most of these people are either daily wagers or substitute workers.

“The five-member fact-finding committee is still verifying accounts of the rest of the employees. A final report will be submitted in this regard soon,” said MCD commissioner KS Mehra.

Mehra further said salaries of those found guilty will be stopped with immediate effect and their properties will be compounded and auctioned to compensate for the loss the civic body has incurred.

According to the civic agency, the aim of the biometric system was to identify the quantum number of so-called employees who were said to be enrolled but did not exist in reality.

“After we found out that 218 people had opened their account without getting their address verified we have put a stop to their salary with immediate effect,” said a senior MCD official requesting anonymity.

According to the civic agency it has been incurring a loss of Rs 204 crore per year due to the missing 22,853 employees.