BHUBANESWAR: From August onwards, employees of the Finance department will lose their leave days if their attendance is less than the prescribed hours.
As per a new office order issued on Tuesday, a day’s leave would be deducted from total permissible count of the staff who remain present in the office for less than four hours. Similarly, half a day will be deducted if attendance is above four hours but less than 7.5 hours a day.
The employees, expected at office by 10 am, will have to record ‘office in’ and ‘office out’ time in the biometric attendance recording device. Non-recording of ‘office out’ time will be treated as absence from duty for the day, the department’s order said.
Every employee has to remain present in the office for at least 7.5 hours a day. If an employee’s office in time is 10.30 am, then he/she will leave the office after 6 pm.
“Those who arrive after 10.30 am and before 11 am, forfeiture of a day of casual leave for three days of late attendance in a month will be applied on them even if they spent 7.5 hours in office. Compulsory deduction of one day leave will be applied for those who arrive after 11 am and irrespective of office out time. There will be no action if attendance is 7.5 hours or more,” the order stated.
Employees will have to work beyond 5.30 pm or beyond 7.5 hours of duty, in case of urgent need. As per direction of higher authorities, employees will have to remain in office till completion of work.
However, staff deployed in the office of the minister will be exempted from these instructions. Notwithstanding this instruction, employees will have to attend office on Sundays/public holidays for attending urgent budget/assembly/court cases and other urgent official matters. Employee seeking half day casual leave on working days will have to take prior approval and work for minimum four hours - from 10 am to 2 pm or from 2 pm to 6 pm, the order added.
Govt allows purchase of new vehicle for ministers
The Odisha government has allowed administrative departments to purchase new vehicles for official use of ministers. The departments can now purchase new vehicles for the ministers if the existing earmarked vehicle is more than one year old, as per an office memorandum issued by principal secretary of Finance department Saswat Mishra. The maximum cost of the vehicle will be Rs 30 lakh and mileage as prescribed earlier.
A minister in charge of more than one department will be allowed only one new vehicle by one of the departments concerned as decided by the minister. Since purchase of the new vehicle is allowed before completion of the life span and condemnation of the vehicle in use, the memorandum stated that further purchase of new vehicle will not be allowed against the earmarked vehicle after end-of-life span. “After purchase of the new vehicle, the existing earmarked vehicle would be utilised suitably and not be kept idle,” it added.