Curb on foreign trips for babus

BHUBANESWAR: The State Government has imposed curbs on foreign trips of senior officials by restricting it to maximum three in a financial year.

Special Secretary in General Administration Department AK Meena said in a circular that the duration of the foreign visit should be kept to the absolute minimum and not exceed five working days, excluding the journey time. “The Secretary of the Department shall ensure in every case that officers of appropriate functional level dealing with the subject are sponsored/deputed instead of those at higher levels. Secretaries of the department shall travel abroad when their presence is required and no one else can be deputed in his place,” it said.

The circular said Secretaries should not undertake any foreign visit during Assembly session unless it is considered unavoidable. “Invitation received by officers directly on account of their expertise in a particular domain and where no particular government business is to be transacted will be treated as personal visit,” it said and added that the officer would have to take leave for the period of the visit. “Such visit shall not be undertaken at government cost,” it added.

The circular said all proposals relating to foreign visits should be submitted to the Chief Minister with adequate justification and with required information. A copy of the proposal should be endorsed to the respective cadre controlling authority of such officers for information, it said.

Besides, political clearance from Ministry of External Affairs and Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act clearance, if required from Ministry of Home Affairs must be obtained before taking up the foreign visit. “Proposals, complete in all respect seeking approval of Chief Minister shall be submitted 15 days prior to the date of departure.

The approval of the Chief Minister may be intimated to the General Administration Department or cadre controlling department concerned of the officer,” it added.