Centre Stops Work From Home For Govt Employees, Begins Biometric System For Office Attendance

In the fresh guidelines, the Department of Personnel and Training said while marking their attendance in AEBAS, all officers will follow the preventive measures to contain the spread of coronavirus.

New Delhi: With the significant decline in coronavirus cases in the country, the Centre on Thursday stopped work from home for government employees and resumed the biometric system for office attendance. Issuing an office memorandum on Wednesday, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) said while referring to the earlier office memorandum on January 31, 2022, “Since the period of suspension of biometric attendance is over on 15.02.2022, all the officers, officials working in this Department are required to mark their attendance in the Aadhaar Enabled Biometric Attendance Control System (AEBAS) with effect from the February 16, 2022.”

The latest order from the Department of Personnel and Training also said that while marking their attendance in AEBAS, all officers, officials will follow the preventive measures to contain the spread of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).

After coronavirus started spreading during the third wave this year, the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pension had issued a direction to all the Central Ministries and Departments to reduce the office attendance by 50 per cent.

In the guidelines, the officers and staff were asked to ensure strict compliance of Covid-appropriate behaviour like frequent washing of hands, sanitisation, wearing face mask, face cover and observing social distancing all the time.

Earlier, the pregnant women employees and Divyang employees were exempted from attending offices while the physical attendance of the government servants below the level of Under Secretary was restricted to 50 per cent of the actual strength.

In the order, the remaining 50 per cent employees were working from home with the instruction that those working from home would remain available on telephone and other electronic means of communications at all times.

(With inputs from IANS)