Biometric identification of rural workers in Rajasthan

Karauli (Rajasthan), Aug 11 (ANI): The district authorities of Karauli in Rajasthan have introduced the thumb impression system to register the physical presence of workers engaged in the projects under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA).

This move has been initiated by them to minimise the leakage of allotted government funds through fake job cards and bogus attendance records.

Daily wage workers under the NREGA said some individuals manipulate and even make three to four fake job cards in favour one person.

"It affects us because some people make fake job cards using their powers. I have a family of ten members and we were supposed to get two job cards, which we do not have. But people with money and power get around three to four job cards," said Dilip, a labourer engaged in NREGA project.

Considering such trends, the authorities said that the use of the thumb impression machine would minimise the chances of getting forge job cards since it records and registers the thumb impression of a worker.

"To break the nexus of fake job cards in the NREGA, we have introduced thump impression machine to take the attendance of workers. In this, we use the biometric technology and take the thump impression of a worker because a person can fake his job card and signature, but he or she cannot fake the thumb impression.

After taking the thumb impression, we get the details of the person registered in his job card," said Neeraj Kumar Pawan, collector.

The specially designed machine works on biometric technology and saves the thumb impression of a worker.

The machine is imported from Japan and China, cost around rupees 25,000 each. The device is battery operated and can be easily carried at work sites.

The attendance of a worker is registered in this device and the payment is done on the basis of data recorded in it. By Lokendra Singh (ANI)