CHENNAI: Mandatory biometric attendance came into effect in the Human Resources Management Department at the Tamil Nadu Secretariat on Monday, marking the first phase of a broader initiative that is likely to be extended to other departments in the coming months.
Officials in the Secretariat said the biometric system had initially been introduced on a pilot basis. However, following objections and concerns raised by employees and officers of the Human Resources Management Department, the pilot project was temporarily put on hold.
Subsequently, the department issued a circular making biometric attendance mandatory from June 1.
Accordingly, officers and staff members of the department registered their attendance through the biometric system on Monday.
Sources said the government is considering extending the system to other departments in a phased manner after assessing its implementation in the Human Resources Management Department.
The Tamil Nadu Secretariat functions from two major complexes at Fort St George. These include the historic Main Building and the ten-storey Namakkal Kavignar Maaligai.
Around 6,000 employees work across 54 departments functioning from the Secretariat, making it one of the largest administrative establishments in the State.
Officials said the biometric attendance system has been introduced to strengthen attendance monitoring and ensure adherence to office timings.