Bio-metric attendance introduced in Odisha higher education

The higher education department of Odisha government has introduced biometric attendance recording system for its staff at the Odisha state secretariat Lok Seva Bhawan, officials said on Tuesday.

The government may extend the biometric system to other departments later, sources said.

"Every employee is required to record his/her 'Office In' as well as 'Office Out' time in the Biometric Attendance Recording Device. Non-recording of 'Office In' or 'Office Out' time shall be treated as absence from duty for that day," the notification said.

It is mandatory for all staff to reach office by 10 am. A grace period of half an hour will be given as 'office in' timing considering aspects like traffic and distance of office from the place of residence, it said.

All the employees are required to be present in the office for at least seven-and-a-half hours.

The staff coming to the office after 11 am will be considered as 'absent', the notification said.

If an employee's presence in the office is more than 4 hours but less than 7 hours and 30 minutes on a working day, a half day-leave will be deducted.

Similarly, if the presence is less than 4 hours, one day's leave will be deducted, it said adding that an employee may have to work beyond 5.30 pm or 7.30 hours of duty in a day in case of need.