Dikhyaa Mohanty 
To guarantee the punctual attendance of government employees at state-run offices, the Odisha government has implemented a number of steps, one of which is the installation of biometric attendance systems in every department. In this context, a notification has been released by the Public Grievance Department and General Administration.
All departments are asked to implement any appropriate equipment, such as biometric attendance systems, if they haven’t already in order to reduce the number of people who arrive late to work. Departments must make sure these systems are operational wherever they have been implemented. Every two weeks, a selected department official must analyze the biometric data, which should be connected to the Biometric Attendance System Portal created by NIC.
However, the state government has exempted employees working in the Honourable Governor’s Secretariat, the Honourable Chief Minister’s Office, and Ministers from these directives.
The Odisha government has outlined the following key measures to ensure timely attendance:
- Every employee is expected to record his/her ‘Office In’ as well as ‘Office Out’ time in the Biometric Attendance Recording Device. Non-recording of ‘Office Out’ time may be treated as absence from duty for the day.
- Employees are expected to come to office by the prescribed In Offices, where employees are required to attend on roster basis, the head of office shall issue office order to that effect and the time mentioned therein for reporting shall be treated as the prescribed time. Instructions contained herein shall apply mutatis mutandis in respect of the said employees.
- Delay up to a maximum span of 30 minutes, on any day with a cumulative of three days in a calendar month may be condoned by the Head of the Office or the Officer duly authorized for the purpose, thereafter, for every three days of late attendance by any employee, the employee will be liable for deduction of one day’s Casual Leave from their Leave Account.
- Considering the fact that, many employees have to work for prolonged and late hours in the evening and sometimes even on Public Holidays in the interest of office work, in such cases, the employees will be eligible for non-imposition of such penalties for late attendance, if any, with due approval of the appropriate Authority as mentioned
- In accordance with government instructions, every employee is expected to attend office at least for 30 hours [Except during days of business notified to be conducted during Morning Hoursl in each working day.
- No penalty shall be imposed for Non recording of Office In/Office Out time for any genuine reasons such as on offlcial tour, official work outside of the office premise on orders by Competent Authority.
