The entry and exit time of all staff of Pune district court in Shivajinagar will now be electronically monitored. The court administration has started the installation of biometric attendance system (BAS) machines on the court premises in Shivajinagar.
Though the decision to implement BAS was taken almost one-and-a-half years ago, it was delayed due to a prolonged tendering process and some “technical issues”.
“We have installed six machines at the new building premises. Currently, information about staff are being fed in the system. We are also testing the system for any technical glitches,” said a senior administrative officer with the District Court.
According to officials, a total of 12 biometric machines will be installed on the Shivajinagar court premises for its 905 employees. As six have already been installed in the new building, the process of installation of six others is going on and will be completed in a year or so, they said.
Officials said BAS is being implemented as part of the state government’s decision to do so at all the courts, including high courts, high court benches and district courts.
“The aim is to curb absenteeism and keep a tab on the entry and exit of the court staff. It will make the administration more public-oriented by ensuring that the staff reach and leave office on time. This system will prove very useful for the courts and it will ensure that employees stay in the office during their official hours. It will also help in clearing some backlog of pending cases,” said an official, who did not wish to be named.
There are over 20,000 employees working in 551 court offices in the state.
The state government has planned to install biometric attendance in all these courts. Besides, the government is also planning to install 359 GRPR-based biometric attending systems in selective offices.
Though it had met with strong opposition from its staff, the University of Pune last year implemented the biometric system for both teaching and non-teaching staff.
Several colleges, including Fergusson and Abasaheb Garware Colleges, have implemented the system successfully.