Aloke Tikku, Hindustan Times New Delhi, November 21, 2014
Over 30 lakh central government officials across the country will have to get used to the idea of reaching office on time.
The government on Friday set a January 26, 2015, deadline to install the Aadhaar-enabled biometric attendance system at its offices across the country and reminded employees they would lose half-a-day’s casual leave every time they were late.
Heads of offices would have the powers to condone late-coming twice a month if employees come up with “justifiable reasons”.
In all other cases, half a day’s casual leave will be debited for each day of late attendance. In case employees exhaust their casual leave, the government will start debiting earned leave.
“Disciplinary action may also be taken against government servants who are habitually late. early leaving is also to be treated in the same manner as late coming,” the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) issued on Friday said.
The order comes after HT reported on Monday that only 25% central govt officials were landing up to work on time in Delhi offices where the biometric system had been installed.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office had ordered installing biometric devices for central departments and ministries in Delhi soon after coming to power.
Nearly 62,000 employees serving in Delhi have already registered themselves. Of them, only 40,000, however, mark their attendance on the biometric devices.
Friday’s circular by the DoPT — the government’s human resource manager — is expected to prompt others to fall in line too.
“It has been decided to use an Aadhaar-enabled biometric attendance system in all offices of the central government including attached/subordinate offices in India,” JA Vaidyanathan, director at DoPT said in the circular.
“The system will be installed in the offices located in Delhi/New Delhi by 31 December 2014. In other places, this may be installed by 26 January 2015,” the order said.