The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Monday ordered the employees to follow the rules for visiting foreign countries in private capacity and seek prior permission. It also warned of action against the violators.
The General Administration Department (GAD) issued an order on Monday in which it said the procedure for granting permission in favour of government employees for private visits to foreign countries has been prescribed clearly by the administration.
“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,” the order issued by Commissioner Secretary, GAD, Manoj Kumar Dwivedi read.
Further, the order said the finance department in its circular on February 21, 2019 inter alia clarified that prior permission of the competent authority for leaving the station would be mandatory when a government employee intends to visit a foreign country in private capacity.
It has, however, been observed that the officers/officials of various departments are proceeding on foreign visits without obtaining prior permission of the competent authority, in violation of rules/norms, as a consequence of which such cases are recommended for post facto sanction thereby defeating the purpose of an elaborate set of instructions/guidelines notified on the subject. The matter has been viewed seriously by the authorities, the order said.
The order impressed upon all the officers and officials working in various government departments, public sector undertaking, boards and commissions to strictly adhere to the instructions issued on the subject and not to undertake any foreign visit on private affairs without prior approval of the government.
Administrative secretaries, heads of departments shall take note of these instructions and take appropriate action against the defaulters and shall not process any case for post facto sanction, it said.
