CG Officials Face Increased Scrutiny: Attendance Tracking to Include Facial Recognition

Government offices will soon implement facial recognition technology to curb absenteeism and deception among officials. Previously, only thumb impression attendance was used; however, the addition of facial recognition technology aims to improve accountability and deter fraudulent attendance practices.

CG News: Government offices in Chhattisgarh (CG) will soon employ face recognition technology to monitor employee attendance, aiming to curb absenteeism and improve work efficiency. This new system will track officers’ presence throughout the eight-hour workday, ensuring they remain in the office and perform their duties diligently. Previously, thumb impression was the only method used for attendance.

The district administration has initiated a new plan to ensure timely attendance of officers and employees. Attendance will be recorded via a mobile app using face recognition technology. This app will record the entire activity from arrival in the morning to departure in the evening. This initiative aims to prevent officers from simply signing in or using thumb scans and then leaving, ensuring they remain present for the stipulated time.

Under this plan, officers will be required to remain in the office for eight hours. Action may be taken against any officer who leaves before the stipulated time or is absent for an extended period. The administration believes this step will improve the quality of government work, ensure timely services to the public, and maintain discipline in offices.

Many Departments Witness Premature Office Departures

While the government has implemented a five-day work week with stipulated office hours of 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, many offices currently face issues with officers not arriving on time. Despite the installation of thumb impression machines, several officers clock in and leave, often for the entire day. This hinders office work and causes inconvenience to the public.

This new technology will record instances of officers leaving early or not returning. The app will also monitor officers’ movements, ensuring accountability for their time spent on duty.

App to be Connected to GPS System

The face recognition system will be linked to a dedicated mobile app connected to GPS. This will verify both the employee’s location and time. It will not only verify attendance but also the actual presence of employees at their workplace. This will curb issues such as late arrivals and unauthorised absences.

“To monitor officers and employees who do not arrive on time or leave early, and to ensure eight hours of office presence, we are preparing to implement a face recognition system. This will be operated through a mobile app. The GPS will also track the movement of officers.” – Avinash Sharan (Collector)