Kolkata, 03 June (H.S.) : The West Bengal government has introduced stringent measures to enforce punctuality and attendance among government employees, making biometric attendance mandatory across state offices. Under a new notification issued by Nabanna, employees who fail to report to work on time may be marked absent, with leave deductions for repeated violations.

The government said the move is aimed at improving administrative efficiency, ensuring punctuality, strengthening workplace discipline and maintaining digital attendance records.

The new system will come into effect in all departments at Nabanna from June 15 and will be implemented in a phased manner across all state government offices by July 31.

State Minister Agnimitra Paul had earlier stated that every government employee must be accountable for their work, arrive at the office on time and remain present until the prescribed closing hours. She also announced that biometric attendance systems would be introduced in all government offices.

Key Features of the New Attendance Policy

The existing exemption under Rule 29A of the West Bengal Service Rules (Part I), which relaxes the requirement for employees to reside within 8 kilometres of their headquarters, will continue.

All employees working at Nabanna, except department heads, will be required to record their entry and exit through a facial recognition-based biometric attendance system.

Employees marking attendance between 10:15 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. will be treated as reporting late.

Employees marking attendance after 11:00 a.m. will be considered absent for the day.

Leaving the office before 5:15 p.m. will be treated as an early departure.

If an employee both arrives late and leaves early on the same day, he or she will be marked absent and one day of casual leave will be deducted.

Employees who fail to register their exit through the biometric system while leaving the office will also be treated as absent.

Three instances of late arrival or early departure in a month will result in the deduction of one day of casual leave or child-care leave.

Under Rule 15 of the West Bengal Service Rules (Part I), employees may be required to continue official duties beyond office hours whenever necessary.

The notification also provides exemptions for employees who are delayed or required to leave early due to official meetings or government assignments. In such cases, the concerned department head will be responsible for obtaining the necessary approvals.

Officials said the decision is a significant step towards strengthening administrative discipline and creating a more accountable work culture in government offices. The government believes the new system will enable more effective monitoring of attendance while improving transparency and efficiency in the delivery of public services.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh