Following a review of cases where government employees took extended paid leaves to go abroad, the state plans to tighten regulations in Gujarat.

The new measures aim to curb the misuse of leave policies and enhance accountability, ensuring that employees do not exploit the system while they continue to be on the payroll.

According to sources from the State Secretariat, an order has been issued to investigate the reasons for the leaves of employees not only in the Education and Health departments but also across all government departments and offices of boards and corporations.

A report has been requested to determine how many days or months an employee has been absent in each department. Employees on extended leave or those who have travelled abroad will be investigated, and actions such as issuing notices, termination, or taking disciplinary measures will be initiated against those responsible.

Typically, the employees are granted earned leave, half-pay leave, converted leave, non-accumulative leave, sick leave, maternity leave, paternity leave, casual leave, and compensatory leave. If an employee wishes to travel abroad, they must submit their documents and a leave report. However, due to negligence in some departments, document verification is not conducted, resulting in employees settling abroad.

The state government now intends to delegate the authority for approving leave, amend leave rules, exercise more caution in cases involving travel abroad, and fix the responsibility of the department head. 

Moreover, certain restrictions may be imposed on employees taking leave for serious illness, weddings, and other occasions. According to sources, the Finance Department’s order under the Gujarat Civil Services (Leave) Rules, 2002, may include new provisions.

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