Government bars employees from private foreign visits without approval

Jammu, Oct 4: J&K Home department has warned all the officers and officials under its administrative control against undertaking “any foreign visit on private affairs without prior approval of the government.”

Cautioning them of “appropriate action against the defaulters”, it also warned them that the Department would not “process any case for post facto sanction.”

It has directed that the cases for grant of permission to visit outside the country will be submitted by the Heads of Departments (HoDs) to the Home Department at least 15 days before the intended date of departure “in order to have a meaningful examination of the proposals.”

Directions have been issued taking serious cognisance of officials of J&K Police and other subordinate departments proceeding on foreign visits either without obtaining prior permission of the competent authority or sending permission request cases to the Home Department at the eleventh hour.

“The General Administration Department (GAD) has clearly prescribed the procedure for granting permission in favour of Government employees for private visits to foreign countries. It has been provided that the station permission for proceeding outside the country on private affairs shall be granted by the Administrative Department in the same manner as leave, outside the country,” Principal Secretary, Home Chandraker Bharti has stated.

He has mentioned that further, in terms of Circular No AJ46 (2017)-1-862 dated February 21, 2019, issued by the Finance Department, inter-alia, it has been clarified that “prior permission of the competent authority for leaving the station shall be mandatory when a Government employee intends to visit a foreign country on private affairs.”

Besides, vide Circular No 08-1K (GAD) of 2021 dated February 13, 2021, government employees have been clearly directed not to undertake any foreign visit on private affairs without prior approval of the government, Bharti has pointed out.

“However, it has been observed that officers or officials of J&K Police and other subordinate departments are proceeding on foreign visits either without obtaining prior permission of the competent authority or permission request cases are sent to the Home Department at the eleventh hour when only a limited time period is left from the intended date of departure. As a consequence, such cases are recommended for post facto sanction thereby defeating the purpose of an elaborate set of instructions or guidelines notified on the subject,” he has stated. Bharti has cautioned that the matter has been seriously viewed by the authorities.

Accordingly, he has directed all the officers and officials under the administrative control of the Home Department to strictly adhere to the instructions. “The Department concerned shall take note of these instructions and take appropriate action against the defaulters and shall not process any case for post facto sanction,” he has ordered.