
Rather than the conventional ‘beep’, over 21,000 employees of the central discom in Madhya Pradesh now opt for a ‘click’. This involves taking selfies to validate their presence in the office, seated at their desk, and punctual.
In a transition to a new attendance system, the power department in Madhya Pradesh requires employees to upload selfies via an app when starting and ending their workday. The system captures the selfie along with the location coordinates where it is uploaded, and the process must be repeated upon leaving the office. Notably, the selfie must be taken while seated at their desk.
The pioneering implementation of this selfie-based attendance system comes from the MP Madhya Kshetra Vidyut Vitaran Company Ltd, commonly known as central discom. This company oversees Bhopal and 15 other districts, including Gwalior. The initiative aims to instill better discipline among employees and enhance consumer services. Initially, the system was phased in for outsourced employees, but it now encompasses all 21,000 employees across 16 districts.
According to Manoj Dwivedi, the senior publicity officer and spokesperson for central discom, the move is yielding positive outcomes for consumer service and experience. In addition to streamlining attendance tracking, employees utilize the system for tasks such as applying for leaves, ensuring not only convenience but also the presence of employees at their designated workstations during crucial public interactions, especially in distribution offices.