Tukaram Mundhe

Nagpur Municipal Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe took to twitter to publicise the use of technology to improve governance in Nagpur. He uploaded a minute-long video, in which he explained how the sanitation workers in the city have been made to wear GPS-enabled watches to live-track their movements for increasing their efficiency and for better utilisation of resources.

GPS-enabled watch

The tweet read, Technology & Governance. Effective use of technology can improve Governance if used effectively leading to efficiency and better utilisation of resources. The development & civic issues can be addressed swiftly if public interest & Governance takes centre stage with IT as enabler (sic).

Also read : NMC chief Tukaram Mundhe inspects COVID-19 patients in wards wearing PPE kit

The officials from their workplace can now monitor the activity of workers on the streets through the GPS watches. Not just their locations, but also their active-hours can be traced by the GPS system. NMC not only made wearing these watches compulsory, but has also begun cutting salaries of workers or even suspending staff for working for lesser hours.

However, some sanitation workers have opposed this micro-level surveillance? by terming it as a breach of privacy and dignity. As reported by TheWire, a worker named Sita Salvi said, I live over five km from Sitabuldi, the area where I work. Earlier, I would use public transport. But since the lockdown, I have been walking all the way to work. And what is worse? If I end up reaching work even a few minutes late, the GPS tracker marks me late and I lose out on my salary.