
The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) introduced biometric attendance on September 1, 2026, to tackle late-coming and improve accountability. Chief Executive Member Winston Tony Lyngdoh confirmed the rollout in the assembly on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, while replying to a question by UDP MDC Titosstarwell Chyne during the Winter Session.

Judicial officers and elected MDCs are exempt from the system. Field staff, forest and enforcement personnel will continue with manual registers maintained by supervisors, with next-day punching allowed after prior intimation to the SPV. Four machines cost over Rs 4.59 lakh have been installed in Shillong. Implementation in branches outside Shillong will proceed only where internet connectivity and feasibility permit, Lyngdoh said.
The biometric rollout addresses chronic absenteeism in a council whose staff are based mainly in Shillong, but the exemption of judicial officers, elected MDCs, and field staff covers some of the largest cohorts. The condition that remote branches will depend on internet connectivity leaves those offices on the old manual system indefinitely, creating a two-tier enforcement regime. Lyngdoh has named no deadline for the expansion beyond Shillong, so the disparity is open-ended. The next step lies with the technical feasibility assessment for each branch.
Source: highlandpost.com
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