State govt tightens rules on foreign trips by employees
Kolkata: The state government has reportedly issued a strict directive tightening norms for foreign trips by government employees, making prior permission mandatory in all cases—whether for official work, personal visits, or travel under Leave Travel Concession (LTC).
In a fresh notification from Nabanna, Chief Secretary Manoj Pant has made it clear that no employee will be allowed to make travel or accommodation arrangements before obtaining necessary approval from the competent authority. The order follows reports that some officials had been booking tickets and hotels abroad even before receiving formal permission.
“This amounts to violation of administrative norms and disregard for procedural discipline,” the notification stated, warning that no leniency will be shown merely because bookings have already been made. Employees who fail to obtain prior approval may face administrative action, it added.
According to the guidelines, all heads of departments (HoDs) have been instructed to ensure that proposals for foreign travel are submitted at least four weeks before the start of leave or travel. Last-minute applications will not be entertained under any circumstances.
Senior officials said the move aims to bring uniformity and discipline to the approval process for foreign trips and to prevent misuse of official discretion. “Every foreign visit requires a structured approval process. When employees make bookings before clearance, it becomes administratively impossible to regularise them later,” a senior official said. The Chief Secretary has also directed additional chief secretaries, special secretaries and secretaries across departments to strictly enforce the order. Officials believe the measure will make the process of approving foreign travel more transparent and help reinforce procedural discipline across all departments.
The directive underscores the government’s intent to ensure accountability and restore administrative order in foreign travel by public servants.
