Bhubaneswar, July 25 (UDN): The Odisha government has introduced a stricter protocol for its employees, making it mandatory for officials to obtain prior approval at least 21 days before undertaking personal travel outside Odisha or abroad.
The directive, issued by the Finance Department, requires government employees to secure sanctioned leave and permission to leave their headquarters before commencing any such journey. The new rule aims to strengthen administrative discipline and ensure better monitoring of official personnel.
According to the notification, employees must submit their leave applications well in advance to the competent authority so that the necessary approvals can be processed before travel. The department has clarified that the requirement will apply to all officers and staff working under its administrative control, including those in subordinate offices and directorates.
The government, however, has provided flexibility for exceptional circumstances. In cases of genuine emergencies, officials may be exempted from adhering to the 21-day advance notice requirement, subject to approval by the competent authority.
The move follows instances where several government employees reportedly travelled outside the state or the country without obtaining prior leave sanctions or headquarters-leaving permission. In some cases, applications were submitted only a few days before departure, leaving little time for authorities to process them.
Under the revised guidelines, no employee will be permitted to undertake personal travel outside Odisha or overseas unless the leave has been formally sanctioned and headquarters-leaving permission has been granted beforehand.
The Finance Department has directed all heads of directorates and subordinate offices to ensure strict compliance with the new instructions and sensitise employees about the revised procedure. Officials have been asked to enforce the guidelines uniformly to maintain administrative accountability and prevent procedural lapses.
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