Finance dept cancels employee leaves amid Indo-Pak tension

Kolkata: The Finance department on Thursday issued a notification ordering that all leave sanctioned to the state government employees, except leave on medical grounds, be cancelled with immediate effect in the backdrop of Indo-Pak tension for maintenance of public services.

“No official shall leave their headquarters without the written permission of their respective Heads of the Departments. This order is being issued in the public interest and shall remain effective until further orders,” read the order undersigned by Prabhat Kumar Mishra, additional chief secretary of the Finance department.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee had put her administration on alert on Wednesday and announced cancellation of leaves of all officers and staff until further orders.

“A meeting of key officers from state and central agencies was held today (Wednesday). We will fight shoulder to shoulder against terror. There should not be differences among us on this issue. The police have been put on alert. District magistrates have been alerted. All leaves have been cancelled,” Banerjee had said.

She announced Chief Secretary Manoj Pant will be the nodal officer and interact with Central agencies.

Soon after her meeting with Union Home minister Amit Shah on security along the borders on Wednesday, Banerjee said that it was the time to stand and fight shoulder to shoulder with the Central government in its fight against terrorism.