Odisha Tightens Attendance Norms in Revenue Offices, Makes Biometric System Mandatory

Bhubaneswar: In a bid to strengthen administrative discipline and curb habitual lateness, the Odisha government has made biometric attendance mandatory in all Revenue offices across the state.

The move comes in the wake of a surprise inspection by Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari at the Inspector General of Registration’s office in Cuttack on July 21, where widespread delays in staff arrivals were observed. The incident prompted the department to enforce stricter monitoring of attendance records.

A notification issued by the Revenue and Disaster Management Department on Monday directed all district collectors to ensure immediate installation and activation of biometric systems in offices under their jurisdiction. The measure aims to ensure that government employees — from clerical staff to senior officers — strictly adhere to their working hours.

The government had earlier instructed all departments in June to implement the biometric system wherever absent and to ensure proper functioning. Under the policy, all employees are required to mark both ‘Office In’ and ‘Office Out’ using the biometric device. They must work a minimum of 7.5 hours per day, excluding official morning business days.

As per the guidelines, if an employee fails to record their ‘Office Out’ time, their presence for the day may be treated as unauthorised absence. Delays of up to 30 minutes, up to three times a month, may be condoned by the Head of Office. Any further late arrivals will result in the deduction of one day’s Casual Leave for every additional three days of delay.

Additionally, the attendance data is to be integrated with the Biometric Attendance System Portal developed by NIC and reviewed fortnightly by a designated officer to ensure transparency and accountability.

However, the directive specifically exempts staff in the offices of the Governor, Chief Minister, and Ministers from these biometric requirements.

The government believes the implementation of this system will streamline operations, improve efficiency, and foster a more responsible work culture within the state’s Revenue administration.