Pune, 4th March 2026: The biometric attendance system introduced by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has received a lukewarm response from employees, with only a fraction of staff marking their presence daily despite it being mandatory.
PMC employs around 17,000 workers. Of these, nearly 7,500 are sanitation workers and labourers whose attendance is recorded separately by the Solid Waste Management Department.
The remaining officers and staff from Class I to Class IV categories are required to mark their attendance through the biometric system.
However, daily attendance records show that only around 3,000 to 3,500 employees use the biometric machines regularly. This is significantly lower than expected, especially when nearly 7,982 employees have already registered their biometric details in the new system.
The civic administration’s official working hours are from 9:45 am to 6:15 pm. Yet, many employees reportedly arrive late at the PMC headquarters and various ward offices. On Fridays, several departments are said to witness thin attendance in the afternoon as some staff leave early.
A few weeks ago, Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram ordered the gates of the PMC main building to be closed at 9:45 am to curb late arrivals. Around 700 officers and employees who reported late that day were issued show-cause notices. Despite this action, attendance patterns have not improved significantly.
Earlier software used for attendance had stopped functioning, after which a new Aadhaar-linked biometric system was introduced in November 2025. Around 60 machines have been installed across the main civic building and ward offices to record attendance.
However, the system has not achieved the desired compliance. An internal circular issued by Additional Commissioner Prithviraj B.P. noted that less than 50 percent of registered employees are marking their attendance through the biometric machines.
Prithviraj B.P. said the biometric system would ensure accurate attendance records and help prevent irregularities. He stated that from March 1, 2026, all employees must mark their attendance on biometric machines regularly, and strict disciplinary action will be taken against those who fail to comply.
The employees’ union, however, has raised concerns about the system. Union president Bajrang Pokharkar said that while staff respect civic rules, the administration frequently changes officers, contractors and software systems. According to him, many machines do not function properly, leading to wasteful expenditure.
Pokharkar also pointed out that several employees are required to conduct field inspections during working hours, and the administration should consider these practical difficulties while enforcing biometric attendance rules.
