5 doctors mark attendance from 200 km away:Sarthak app fraud in Betul exposes 170 doctors across 48 districts of Madhya Pradesh overall

In Betul district of Madhya Pradesh, five doctors have been found marking fake attendance on the Sarthak app. Officials said the doctors were not at their workplace and were sitting 150 to 200 kilometres away at the time. The Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO), Dr Manoj Kumar Hurmade, identified the doctors as Dr Rahul Singh Gehlot, Dr Sanskriti Sahu, Dr Saraswati Kangale, Suraj Solanki, and Vaishali Bhumarkar. According to the CMHO office, the doctors used camera tricks and edited photos to show their presence at the hospital. However, their GPS location showed they were far from the duty place. The CMHO has formed a three-member committee, including the District Health Officer and senior doctors, to probe the matter. The committee will submit its report within seven days. Dr. Hurmade said that Fake attendance on the app is a serious disciplinary offense. Strict action will be taken against the doctors found guilty after the investigation report is received. Location has to be registered after 9 AM
On the Sarthak app, employees have to register their attendance with a retina scan and GPS location between 9 AM and 11:30 AM. It is mandatory to register attendance again five hours later to ensure the employee’s actual presence at the workplace. If this is not done, half a day’s duty is considered, or salary may be deducted. An investigation by the Directorate of Health revealed that in 48 districts of the state, 170 bonded doctors marked their attendance on the app without coming on duty. Employees said – Network issues, impractical system
Many employees, calling this system impractical, say that due to network problems in rural areas, it is difficult to mark attendance on the app. However, the health department argues that technical limitations cannot be an excuse for fraud. Sarthak App for Employee Attendance
Sarthak App is a mobile application of the Madhya Pradesh government. It is being used for the attendance and work monitoring of government employees. This is to check whether employees are actually present at work or not, to prevent fake attendance, to know whether the work of government schemes is being implemented on the ground, and to bring transparency into the system. It is to be used by officials from district to panchayat level, including employees of the Doctor, Teacher, Panchayat, Health, Education, Women and Child Development, and Revenue departments. How is attendance marked with the app? Employees have to install the app on their mobile phones. Between 9 AM and 11:30 AM, attendance has to be marked with an eye (retina) scan and GPS location. Attendance has to be marked again after about 5 hours. If both attendances are not marked, half of that day’s salary may be deducted, or it is considered ‘no work-no pay’. Since when has this app been running?
It was first launched as a trial in October 2025. It was made mandatory across Madhya Pradesh from January 8, 2026. What the government says will be its benefits: