Bhubaneswar, 20th Sept 2025: From now on, attendance registers will be a thing of the past in all government offices across Odisha. Starting from the 15th of this month, biometric attendance will be made mandatory. The government has issued instructions to all district collectors and commissioners regarding this.
This move has caused discomfort among officials and employees who used to misuse their work hours for personal tasks. Offices have been directed to immediately repair non-functioning biometric machines and install new ones wherever they are missing.
From September 14, work certificates will be generated based on biometric attendance, and all government offices are expected to comply accordingly.
🔍 First Focus: Health Department
The Health Department is leading this implementation. All Chief District Medical & Public Health Officers, superintendents of CHCs, city PHC medical officers, hospital superintendents, and IDH superintendents were sent letters to remove manual attendance registers and strictly enforce biometric attendance by the 15th. Failure to comply will result in disciplinary action against the concerned officials.
Health workers are reportedly concerned about this strict monitoring, and now other government departments are also facing pressure due to the new mandate.
According to the official communication:
All officers and employees must record attendance twice daily:
Arrival at 10 AM
Departure at 5:30 PM
If any employee arrives late by more than 30 minutes for 3 consecutive days, it will be counted as 1 day of leave.
If no attendance is recorded while leaving, the day will be marked as absent.
📋 Duty Timing Details for Health Workers:
At group-level or headquarters: 8-hour duty to be monitored via biometric.
For Primary Health Centres (PHCs):
April to September: 7 AM–11 AM and 4 PM–6 PM
October to March: 8 AM–12 PM and 3 PM–5 PM
Deviation from these schedules will result in action.
⚠️ Targeted Departments:
In Bhubaneswar, several departments are under scrutiny for chronic late arrivals:
Engineering Department
Works Department
Housing & Urban Development
Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water
Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC)
Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA)
Many officers in these offices reportedly do not arrive in the first half of the day, claiming to be “on field duty,” which is often used as an excuse.
This government initiative aims to increase accountability, reduce absenteeism, and ensure that public service delivery improves, especially in critical sectors like health, infrastructure, and urban development.