Surat: An attendance checking drive by the vigilance department of Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) on Tuesday triggered anxiety among employees who reported late to work at the civic body’s headquarters.Officials said that out of around 700 employees posted at the SMC headquarters, 85 were found arriving after the official reporting time. Employees across ranks who were marked late will be asked to submit clarifications. If the explanation is found satisfactory, no action will be taken. If not, disciplinary steps will follow as per rules.“Many of our employees have to stay back late to finish work. They sometimes come later than the regular reporting time for the specific department next day. In those cases, we will give exception,” a senior SMC official said.Top officials maintained that the exercise was routine and aimed at ensuring punctuality. “We have carried out similar checking drive at seven zone offices. It is part of a routine process in the administration to encourage the employees to come at the official time,” an SMC official said, adding that the headquarters drive drew attention because it was conducted at Tapi Bhavan.During the drive, the gates of the headquarters were closed at reporting time and a vigilance team stood at the entrance with pen and paper to record the names of staff entering late. The manual checking was conducted despite the presence of a biometric attendance system.Officials said the vigilance department began the checking following directions from senior officers. Manual entries will be matched with biometric data to identify cases where employees may have punched in and then left the premises. Some employees were reportedly found to have left after punching in and returned later. Officials said those employees will also be asked to explain, and no action will be taken if the reason is valid.As per the existing procedure, a first-time late arrival may invite a memo, a second instance can lead to deduction through casual leave, and repeated violations may attract stricter punitive action. In the recent past, SMC has also suspended staff for attendance-related violations.
