Government warns 'habitual late-comers' to office, asks all officials to maintain punctuality

NEW DELHI: The Centre has warned all government servants that disciplinary action will be taken against "habitual late-comers" to office and has asked for officials at all levels to maintain punctuality.

The government had introduced Aadhaar enabled Bio-metric Attendance System (AEBAS) in Central Government offices, including attached/ sub-ordinate offices, last year to replace the manual system of marking of attendance t .. to ensure punctuality is to be implemented in all Ministries. "This Department on November 21, 2014 and January 28, 2015 while recognizing that the Biometric Attendance System is only an enabling platform had, inter-alia, stated that there was no change in the instructions relating to office hours, late attendance etc," the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has said in a circular issued to all ministries today, titled 'Observance of punctuality in office.".

"In this connection attention is invited to Rule 3(1)(ii) of CCS (Conduct) Rules, 1964 which stipulates that every Government servant shall at all times maintain devotion to duty. Habitual late attendance is viewed as conduct unbecoming of a Government servant and disciplinary action may be taken against such a Government servant. It is also added that punctuality in attendance is to be observed by Government servants at all levels. It is also requested that the necessary directions may be issue . to all employees to mark their attendance in BAS portal on regular basis," the DoPT circular issued on June 22 says.

It has added that instructions have been issued from time to time with regard to the need to observe punctuality by Government servants and the responsibility for ensuring punctuality in respect of their employees rests within Ministries/ Departments/ Offices.

Nearly 1.3 lakh central government employees are registering their attendance on the AEBAS system