Ahmedabad’s municipal swimming-pool department has introduced a requirement for contracted swimming coaches to submit a fitness certificate from an MBBS doctor every six months, triggering allegations of unequal treatment between permanent and contract staff.
The new condition applies to around 17 coaches working on contract, according to a report by Gujarat Samachar. Contract employees have questioned why the requirement has been imposed on them when it is reportedly not applicable to permanent coaches or coaches engaged through private agencies.
The department has around 30 permanent swimming coaches, while approximately 17 coaches work directly on contract. A further 30 to 32 coaches are reportedly engaged through a private agency. Contract coaches have alleged that the different rules create discrimination between categories of employees performing similar duties.
Earlier, contract coaches were required to undergo tests related to swimming and fitness every six months. Under the new instruction, they must also submit a fitness certificate issued by an MBBS doctor. The additional certification requirement has created a fresh administrative burden for the contract workforce.
The dispute is also linked to the way attendance is recorded. Employees are required to mark their attendance through the 311 application before the start of their shift, followed by biometric attendance and a signature in the attendance register. After completing these steps, a group photograph of all employees must reportedly be taken and uploaded to the swimming-pool department’s WhatsApp group.
Contract employees have objected to the four-stage attendance process, saying it requires them to complete several overlapping checks before their attendance is recorded. Their concerns centre on both the additional paperwork involved in obtaining the medical certificate and the difference in rules applied to permanent and contract personnel.
The reported dispute places the focus on how municipal departments administer mixed workforces in public facilities. Ahmedabad’s swimming pools rely on permanent employees, directly contracted staff and personnel supplied through private agencies, creating different employment arrangements within the same service system.
The contract coaches have sought greater uniformity in the rules applicable to permanent and contract employees. The department’s reported fitness-certification and attendance instructions remain at the centre of the ongoing disagreement.
