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PUNCTUALITY AND ATTENDANCE
A. Introduction of 5 Days Week
It has been decided to introduce 5
days week in the Federation. All offices of
the Federation, excluding Industrial Units,
shall now work for 5 days in a week with
all Saturdays as closed. To make up for the
closed Saturdays, the working hours per
day during the 5 days of the week when
the offices are open will be increased by
one hour. Accordingly, the office timings
shall be as under :
9.30 AM to 5.30 PM
with half an hour break
from 1.00 PM to 1.30 PM
(Ref. O.O. No. 7 dated 31.7.1985)
B. RMs to prescribe office timings
in Branches
It has been brought to notice that in
certain offices of the Federation, different
office timings have been prescribed by the
concerned Regional/ Branch Managers with
a view to save the overtime allowance. The
Matter has been examined and after
considering to the views of Regional/Branch
Managers, it has been decided that the
Regional/Branch Managers may prescribe
different office timings for office/field staff
like Telex/ Teleprinter operators, staff
working at Dispatch Godowns, Shops,
Docks, Mandies, Class IV staff, Chowkidars,
Guest-House/Maintenance Attendants and
Drivers etc. in case it is felt that such work
has to be performed continuously for a
sufficiently longer period and it is not
possible to do that work within the
prescribed office timings. If the job to be
performed beyond the office hours is of
temporary nature and is likely to be finished
within a week or 15 days, there is no need
to prescribe separate office timings. While
prescribing separate office timings, the
concerned officers shall keep the genuine
business interest of the Federation in view
and it should not be done with the sole
intention to save the overtime allowance.
(Ref. O.O. No. 57 dated 16.04.1987)
** O.O. No. 31 dated 17.11.1994
# O.O. No. 21 dated 08.01.1996
C. Punctuality in Attendance
*(1) The importance of punctuality in
the office hardly needs any emphasis. All
employees are expected to maintain
punctuality in attending and leaving the
office except the lunch break (1.00 to 1.30
p.m.)
(i) Instances have come to the notice
that some of the officers and staff
members of the Federation in Head
Office are not attending [leaving
the office as also lunch break
timings are not being observed by
some of the employee]1 the office
in time. All the Divisional Heads/
Section Incharge in H.O. are,
therefore, directed to strictly
adhere to the office timings
themselves and also ensure that
the staff and officers working under
them are punctual in attending
office. This is essential in the
interest of maintaining office
decorum and discipline. Slackness
in punctuality is against office
discipline and should be
discouraged at all levels. All
Divisional/Sectional Heads are
expected to pay proper attention to
this aspect in order to ensure
maintenance of punctuality in the
office.
*(ii) No indication is made in the
attendance register by most of the
Divisional/ Sectional Heads in case
any employee is on leave/tour or
away on official duty. As a result,
the employee concerned is issued
a memo for attending office late for
which he later on represents for
withdrawal being on leave etc.
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(ii) Message should be left with AMD’s
PA by Divisional Heads/ Section
Incharges and by other in their
Sections when any officer has to
remain away from the office
indicating the likely duration and
place of availability.
(Ref. O.O. No. 18 dated 1.12.1982)
D. Lunch Timing
It has been observed that the
employees are not adhering to the
prescribed lunch time from 1.00 p.m. to
1.30 p.m. It is, therefore, brought to the
notice of all employees that they are
required to adhere to the prescribed lunch
time from 1.00 p.m. to 1.30 p.m.,
invariably. All Divisional and Sectional
Heads are requested to ensure strict
compliance of the above instructions by
the Staff of their Division/Section.
(Ref. O.O. No. 68 dated 21.05.1987)
E. Introduction of Card Punching
Machine in H.O.
The Card Punching Machine has been
introduced for regulating the attendance
of the employees/officers in Head Office.
The procedure for attendance system in
the NAFED Head Office will come into
force w.e.f. 01.03.1999.
(i) Punching/recording system would be
kept open for all employees/ officers
(except Divisional Heads, Officers
and Drivers of MD/ Chairman Cell).
All officers/ Employees shall punch/
record their cards every time when
coming or leaving the office.
Working hours of office shall be from
Monday to Friday 9.30 hours to 17.30
hours with lunch break 13.00 hours
to 13.30 hours.
(ii). 15 minutes grace time between 9.30
a.m. to 9.45 a.m. will be allowed to
all the employees/officers for
punching/ recording their attendance
throughout the month.
(iii). Late attendance punching/ recording
between 9.45 a.m. to 10.00 a.m. for
a maximum of five times in a
calendar month shall be allowed.
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This late coming will have to be
compensated on the same day. For
example if an employee has punched
his/her card between 9.46 a.m. to
10.00 a.m. he/she will have to punch
out at 6.00 p.m. otherwise half a day
CL will be debited to his/her account.
(iv). Keeping in view distance involved
between places of residence and
office and traffic dislocation involved
occasionally, employees/ officers
may be permitted two hours grace
period/short leave once in a calendar
month in the morning or evening.
(v). For the purpose of control on over
time, employees should record their
attendance through punching cards,
on holidays and also after 5.30 p.m.
or before 9.30 a.m.
(vi). EMPLOYEES ON TOUR/OD
a. On tour: Intimation about an
employee/officer proceeding on
tour be given in advance by
individual employee/officer
concerned to Personnel Section
duly countersigned by controlling
officer of concerned Department.
b. Official duty: In the event of an
eventuality when an employee
cannot punch/record his/her
attendance and has to proceed on
official duty from his residence
while at Headquarter permission
from controlling officer should be
submitted to Personnel Section to
regulate attendance.
(vii). All the Divisional/Sectional Heads
are requested to nominate an
employee in their Section for
maintaining a register in respect of
Officers/Employees working under
them for recording the leave
record/OD/short leave permission
etc. which will be helpful in
verifying the said details at the
close of each month with the
statement to be provided by
Personnel Division in the first week
of following month.
(viii). On the basis of certified statement
received from the various
 departments/ divisions/sections,
Personnel Section will make out a
monthly statement and send it to
concerned Department for
controlling the leave records etc.
and second copy to Accounts
Department for verification of
overtime/TA bill/Local conveyance.

(Ref: O.O. No. 12 dated 01.03.1999.)

F. Procedure to be adopted when

Divisional Head is not in Office.
It has been noticed that whenever
Divisional Heads are not available in Head
Office because of meeting etc., in the
Ministry or due to some other reason, there
is nobody in their depart-ment to look after
the urgent and important matters or provide
necessary information to Managing Director.
In order to avoid such a situation in future,
all Divisional Heads are requested to
indicate the name of the next officer to the
Administration Deptt. who can provide
necessary information to
the Managing Director as and when
required. The officer whose name is
indicated should be properly briefed in all
current business and other matters,
particularly when the Divisional Head goes
out of station or is on leave, to enable him
to have upto date information on important
subjects. The names should be sent to the
undersigned within a period of one week of
the issue of this Order.
These orders shall take immediate effect.
(Ref. O.O. No. 40 dated 8.3.1984)
F. Weekly off for ASC Rudrapur
It has been decided that Agro
Service Centre Rudrapur (Uttar Pradesh)
will, hereafter, observe weekly off days on
Sunday – Monday instead of Saturday –
Sunday.
This order comes into force with
immediate effect.
(Ref. O.O. No. 1 dated 11.4.1989)
The system of marking attendance through
a Card Punching machine was introduced vide
Office Order No.12 dated 01.03.99. Three
machines have been provided in H.O. premises
for this purpose. The Office Order in question
provided the following procedure for marking
attendance through these machines:-
(i) Punching/recording system would be
kept open for all employees/ officers (except
Divisional Heads, Officers and Drivers of MD/
Chairman Cell). All officers/ Employees shall
punch/ record their cards every time when
coming or leaving the office. Working hours of
office shall be from Monday to Friday 9.30 hours
to 17.30 hours with lunch break 13.00 hours to
13.30 hours.
(ii) 15 minutes grace time between 9.30 a.m.
to 9.45 a.m. will be allowed to all the
employees/officers for punching/ recording their
attendance throughout the month.
(iii) Late attendance punching/ recording
between 9.45 a.m. to 10.00 a.m. for a maximum
of five times in a calendar month shall be
allowed. This late coming will have to be
compensated on the same day. For example if
an employee has punched his/her card between

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9.46 a.m. to 10.00 a.m. he/she will have to
punch out at 6.00 p.m. otherwise half a day CL
will be debited to his/her account.
(iv) Keeping in view distance involved
between places of residence and office and
traffic dislocation involved occasionally,
employees/ officers may be permitted two hours
grace period/short leave once in a calendar
month in the morning or evening.
(v) For the purpose of control on over time,
employees should record their attendance
through punching cards, on holidays and also
after 5.30 p.m. or before 9.30 a.m.
It shall be the responsibility of the concerned
employee to ensure that his/her card is not
punched by any other person including security
guards. If such a practice is detected, both the
concerned persons shall be liable for disciplinary
action.
2. A written permission must be obtained from
the concerned Divisional Head if the employee
is required to either come late in the morning or
leave office early in the evening for official
purposes. Such a permission must be sent to
Personnel Section for verification of attendance.
3. The employees must adhere to the timings
stated above, otherwise they shall be liable for
appropriate action.

During the last over five years of
operation of the above system, a number of
short comings have come to notice which led to
its manipulation by a section of employees for
their undue advantage. A few examples of
such manipulation are as under:
The above instructions are issued for strict
compliance. The concerned Sectional Heads
are advised to report any kind of deviation to the
undersigned for further action.
( Ref. Office Order No.17 dated 14.10.2004)

1. Proxies are used for punching of cards.

Some employees make reciprocal
arrangements for punching of cards through
telephonic information. Sometimes even the
services of Security Guards on duty are utilized
for this purpose.

2. Some of the employees punch their card

and then straightaway leave the office without
visiting their respective section.

3. The timings of punching as stated above are

not strictly adhered to and later on when
questioned, the employee state “official duty” as
the reason for either coming late or leaving early.

4. The facility of five days late coming in a

month and compensating it by sitting late in the
evening is not properly used. While the
employees punch their cards upto 10.00 A.M. in
the morning, they leave office at usual timings in
the evening.

5. The facility of two hours grace period once in

a calendar month is used extensively and
beyond the prescribed limits.

In order to overcome the above

problems, it has been decided as under:

1. All the employees, except Divisional Heads,

officers and drivers of MD/Chairman Cell, shall
punch their cards only themselves and shall not
permit any other person to do so on their behalf.