In a move to improve discipline and efficiency in government offices, the Odisha government has imposed strict attendance rules for all state government employees. The new directive from the General Administration and Public Grievance Department mandates punctuality as an essential part of good governance. Therefore, all officials—whether junior staff or senior officers in the top ranks—are to report on time.
Employees must log in the time of entering the office and time of exiting via biometric systems. If they fail to record their time of leaving, they will be considered absent from work for the entire day.
There will be a system in place to monitor arrival snd departure timings. Only 30 minutes’ grace period is allowed and that too not more than thrice a month. Any further delays will require the latecomers to pay a penalty. Late arrival thrice beyond the allowed limit will result in one day’s casual leave ( CL) being deducted.
All departments have been instructed to install biometric attendance systems if not already in place and endure compliance. These devices must be functional and linked to a central portal developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC). Attendance data will be reviewed fortnightly by an officer assigned the duty.
Employees must work at least 7.5 hours a day, except in case of certain pre-scheduled short working days. Those working late or during holidays for official reasons can avoid penalties with prior approval. Employees on official tours or field duty are exempt from biometric logging, provided they have proof of authorisation on record.
However, the new rules will not apply to staff working in the offices of the Governor, Chief Minister, and other Ministers.
The mandate will definitely increase accountability and efficiency, which is what the Odisha administration is siming for.
