The Allahabad High Court has directed the Principal Secretary (Law) & LR, UP government to implement a bio-metric system in the office of the Chief Standing Counsel, Allahabad within two weeks to ensure that office employees arrive on time.
The Single-Judge Bench of Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal passed this order while hearing a petition filed by Nar Singh and Others related to delay in the arrival of files from the office of the Chief Standing Counsel.
Satish Mohan Tiwari, Standing Counsel appearing for the State, made a prayer for adjourning the matter on the ground that his file has not come from the office of the Chief Standing Counsel.
K.R Singh, Chief Standing Counsel, who was present, assured the Court that all the files will reach the Court in time and there was no need for a bio-metric system for attendance of employees in the office of Chief Standing Counsel.
It was 11:10 am and most of the files from the office of the Chief Standing Counsel had not come.
It has been informed that due to the late coming of the employees in the office of Chief Standing Counsel files are not being sent to the Court in time.
The Court feels that on several occasions the files have not come to the Court in time and the matters have been adjourned due to the fact that files of the Standing Counsel were not with them. It seems that the office of Chief Standing Counsel is not working properly and the files are not reaching the Courts in time, due to the fact that the employees are not coming to the office of Chief Standing Counsel in time, though the Standing Counsel are on time.
It has also come to the knowledge of the Court that some of the employees from the office of Chief Standing Counsel were outsourcing staff, who were bringing files to the Courts and are reaching office late in time.
The time has come when there is a requirement of a biometric system for attendance of employees in the office of Chief Standing Counsel.
The Court directed the Principal Secretary (Law) & L.R Government of U.P Lucknow to introduce biometric system in the office of Chief Standing Counsel, Allahabad within two weeks and he shall ensure that files of each and every matter listed in the Court reaches by 10.00 AM, when the Courts sits and start their judicial work.
The High Court also requested the Advocate General, U.P to take necessary action for smooth and proper working in the office of Chief Standing Counsel, Allahabad.
“List this matter on 16.01.2023, on that day, the Principal Secretary (Law) & L.R. Government of UP Lucknow, shall remain present in the Court and shall inform the Court as to the steps having been taken in implementing the bio-metric system in the office of Chief Standing Counsel for ensuring the attendance of all employees in time and further see that all the file reaches the Courts in time.
Satish Mohan Tiwari, Standing Counsel, shall inform the Advocate General, U.P about this order during the course of the day. Further, the Registrar (Judicial) (Compliance) shall forward a copy of this order to the Principal Secretary (Law) & L.R Government of U.P Lucknow within 24 hours,” the Court ordered.