Assam Secretariat to monitor employees’ attendance with facial recognition

Guwahati, June 1: For the smooth functioning of the Assam Secretariat, the General Administration Department (GAD) issued a directive for all officers and staff to attend office by 9.30 am and no later than 9.45 am.

The official order instructed the employees to register their attendance using the Face Recognition Attention System (FRAS) installed at the Assam Secretariat.

The order was issued after it was observed that some employees of the Assam Secretariat were not arriving at the office on time, resulting in disruption to the smooth functioning of official work.

“In case of latecomers, the GAD shall report the names to the Senior Most Secretaries of the Departments on a monthly basis. This will enable supervisors to recognise officers and staff who work overtime and during holidays, ensuring that any authorised late arrivals are duly accounted for, while habitual latecomers are suitably disciplined,” the order reads, adding that one casual leave will be deducted for every three consecutive days of late attendance.

“Any officer or staff member who continues to habitually arrive late or leave early will face disciplinary action,” it added.

Furthermore, the employees who consistently arrive before 9.45 am and do not leave before 5 pm, as accorded by the FRAS, will be recognised and notified as ‘Man of the Month’ and ‘Woman of the Month’ as a reward for their punctuality.

The employees will also receive a written appreciation letter from the Chief Secretary if they maintain the record for at least three consecutive months.