Kottayam toddy workers’ office tackles two decades of files for ISO certification

Kottayam: Employees at the Kerala Toddy Workers’ Welfare Fund Board office in Kottayam spent their Diwali holidays surrounded by piles of files, working tirelessly to organise the office records.

About a week ago, the Chief Welfare Fund Inspector conducted an inspection of the office and discovered bundles of files carelessly stored in a sack. Following the inspection, a directive was issued to segregate the files, identifying which ones could be discarded and which should be preserved. As a result, the entire staff was required to report to the office on October 19 and 20—days that were originally declared as holidays—to carry out this task.

After two days of intensive work, the staff compiled a comprehensive list, separating old files—some dating back as far as 20 years—from newer ones. This list was then submitted to the Chief Welfare Fund Officer, who had visited the office earlier for the inspection and a meeting related to the ISO certification program.

Meanwhile, complaints arose regarding missing files belonging to certain welfare fund board members. In response, the staff conducted a thorough two-day search to trace the missing records. However, the Chief Welfare Fund Inspector clarified that the staff's primary responsibility was to segregate files stored in the sack and dispose of old, unnecessary documents.

Authorities later confirmed that the file segregation was part of the process to implement the ISO certification program within the office.