Keen to introduce biometric attendance to check absenteeism among municipal teachers, the MCD has formed a panel to look into the modalities of implementing such a system.

The eight-member committee, to be headed by Additional Commissioner (Education) P S Tomar, will submit its report in six weeks, officials said. The decision to form the panel was taken at a meeting of the MCD Education Committee yesterday.

The civic body has already introduced the biometric system for other employees but a proposal to bring 20,000 teachers of MCD primary schools had been pending for more than two years due to opposition from them.

The panel will examine all aspects and look into the project modalities, cost and the number of biometric machines required.

Cracking down on alleged dereliction of duty and absenteeism among municipal teachers, the MCD had on Saturday suspended a school principal and 18 teachers while terminating 14 other contractual teachers.

MCD is running 1,746 primary schools having an enrollment of around 9.5 lakh children. In addition, it also runs attached nursery classes in 923 primary schools along with 33 independent nursery schools with enrollment of 50,000 children.