New Delhi: The West Bengal government is preparing to overhaul its attendance system for government employees by introducing a mobile phone-based attendance mechanism,
eliminating the need for dedicated biometric hardware in offices.
The state Finance Department has recently issued a notification directing departments to implement the new system at the earliest. Under the proposed arrangement, employees will be able to mark their attendance using their mobile phones while physically present within the designated office premises.
According to the notification, departments have been asked to review their existing software solutions to facilitate the transition to the new attendance platform.
Officials said the move is expected to significantly reduce government expenditure on installing and maintaining biometric attendance machines. In recent years, several departments had introduced biometric devices, but many reportedly faced operational issues due to maintenance problems and technical failures.
The new system will use geo-fencing technology, enabling employees to register their attendance only when they are within the predefined boundaries of their workplace. The Finance Department believes the technology will make attendance recording more convenient while improving punctuality and ensuring greater transparency in employee attendance.
The process of circulating the new guidelines to all government departments has already begun.
The latest initiative follows the state government’s earlier decision to tighten attendance monitoring through facial recognition-based biometric attendance. The system became mandatory at Nabanna, the state secretariat, from June 15, with directions to extend it to all government departments across West Bengal in a phased manner by July 31.
Under the existing attendance rules, all officers and employees, except department heads, are required to record their attendance using facial recognition devices while entering and leaving the office. Employees reporting for duty between 10:15 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. are marked as late, while those arriving after 11:00 a.m. are treated as absent. Similarly, leaving the office before 5:15 p.m. is recorded as an early departure**.
Officials expect the mobile-based attendance system to further streamline workforce management while reducing dependence on physical biometric infrastructure.
