Biometric attendance report exposes lapses at Secretariat

KOHIMA — The Biometric Attendance System (BAS), which was supposed to ensure punctuality and accountability of state government employees, has turned out to be a failure, going by the lapses seen in the attendance report at Nagaland Civil Secretariat from January to May 2023.

The biometric attendance report of Nagaland’s biggest office was made available to the public on the official portal of Information Technology and Communication department on June 9, 2023, which was a welcoming step towards transparency.

The attendance of employees from January 1, 2023, to May 31, 2023, with 116 total working days, along with their names and department were provided in the portal.

However, Eastern Mirror found out that the attendance sheet also reflected the names of demised persons and employees who had retired several years ago, indicating that the system is either not updated for years or malfunctioning.

One classic case was of the former chief secretary, Late Temjen Toy, who died on January 28, 2021, but his name was still reflected in the latest report and listed in the department of Finance (Exp A) in Serial No. 50 with attendance ID of 6299019 as chief secretary during the period January 1st 2023-May 31st 2023. In contrast, the name of the incumbent chief secretary, J Alam, was not even listed in any of the departments.

Cases such as the incumbent Nagaland Public Service Commission (NPSC) chairman, W Honje Konyak, was reflected as secretary of Work and Housing, while A Wopen Lotha, who was appointed as member of NPSC back in 2018, was reflected as commissioner and secretary of Cooperation and Menukhol John, who was recently appointed as chairman of Nagaland State Finance Commission, post-retirement, was reflected as principal secretary of Municipal Affairs.

Senior bureaucrat, R Binchilo Thong, who went on to hold the director general of ATI and incumbent agriculture production commissioner (APC), was listed as development commissioner under the department of Planning and Coordination (Planning).

The incumbent chairman of Nagaland Staff Selection Board (NSSB), Sedevikho Khro, was also reflected as secretary of Power department, whereas the retired principal secretary, Francis Pelevituo Solo, was also still listed in the department of School Education, and MK Mero was still reflected as commissioner and secretary of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry. Similarly, retired bureaucrat, Rovilatuo Mor, was still listed as commissioner and secretary of Work and Housing.

Surprisingly, advisor of NSDAM and New and Renewable Energy, Z Nyusietho Nyuthe, who contested the general election in 2018, was also listed as additional secretary of the Social Welfare department.

As indicated in the attendance report, the period was from January 31 till May 31, however, during such period the state government had also ordered the transfer and posting of IAS, NCS, NSS and other officers on May 19 and subsequently a partial modification was issued on May 25 by the government’s Personnel and Administrative Reforms department. Many incumbent officials and employees were not even reflected.

It may be mentioned that the Biometric Attendance System (BAS) was officially launched at the Nagaland Secretariat on February 19, 2016, by the then chief secretary, Pankaj Kumar.