
RAIPUR: In recent weeks, the Raipur collector Gaurav Singh has been seen on random spot-checking across various offices functioning under the Collectorate, to keep track on the punctuality of government staff while coming to the office, during lunch breaks and whether they leave the office only at the stipulated time.
The efforts now led to 98 per cent attendance with staff arriving on time in the Collectorate offices in the capital, a senior officer revealed.
The collector took a serious view over the lapses and negligence on the part of those employees not showing on time in offices. While taking surprise visits to examine the workplaces in offices under the collectorate, Singh instructed them to take action against those employees remaining absent without any prior information.
All registers on staff attendance from various offices were brought to the collector’s table in the first 30 minutes of the office hour for his quick review. He explicitly put everyone on guard that those remaining away for long hours during the stipulated office time without genuine reasons or approval may even get a proportional deduction from their salary.
Singh, a 2013-batch IAS officer, didn't miss any occasion to praise officials and employees for remaining accountable to their job.
There are around 15 offices in the Raipur collectorate premises and around 60 various departments and sections with around 500 officers and staff.
“10 am doesn't mean that one should arrive only at 10 o'clock. Rather one is expected to start their work in their respective offices by 10 am. One may get late occasionally for some valid reasons but remaining habitually late becomes unbecoming of a government servant”, the collector said.
Those who are habitually late are served with show-cause notices. Every officer and staff have been asked to keep a small nameplate with designation on their table for the convenience of the public.
Simultaneously, the collector last week got biometric systems installed for attendance in every office under his jurisdiction.
In Chhattisgarh, the government offices function for five days a week with the scheduled working hours from 10 am to 5:30 pm. There were staff who reportedly left offices after lunch on Friday and availed themselves of the remaining half of the day. So, the collector began taking a combined meeting of all staff every Friday late evening by 5 pm in the collectorate premises.
Earlier there were many seen casual on duty or absent from offices but now barely half a dozen are arriving late that too only for 5-10 minutes.
Singh further enjoined that it would be the responsibility of the head of the concerned department or section in charge to ensure the punctuality of their employees.