The Delhi government has directed senior officials to obtain approval from the Chief Minister and the ministers in charge of their departments before proceeding on leave, while also requiring copies of their leave applications to be sent to the Chief Minister’s Secretary.
The fresh instruction was issued by Services Secretary Nandini Paliwal on Wednesday after the government raised concerns about senior officers taking leave without following the prescribed procedure. The directive applies to department heads and officials of higher ranks, according to the report by Live Hindustan – NCR.
Paliwal described the practice of senior officers proceeding on leave without formally informing their superiors in advance as an old problem. She said repeated instructions had been issued on the matter, but the required process was still not being followed.
The order states that officials must seek permission from the Chief Minister and the minister responsible for their department before taking any kind of leave. A copy of every leave application submitted by a department head or an officer above that rank must also be sent to the Chief Minister’s Secretary.
The Services Department has instructed senior officials to comply strictly with the directions. The communication warns that failure to follow the procedure will be treated seriously and could lead to action against the officials concerned.
The latest order follows an earlier episode involving leave requests from officials in several departments. Last year, the office of Cabinet Minister Ashish Sood had instructed officials in the home, education, higher education, urban development and power departments to seek leave through WhatsApp. The subsequent practice, according to the report, included officials informing the authorities only on the day of their absence or without giving prior notice.
Earlier government instructions had stated that all Additional Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries and heads of departments were required to inform the Chief Minister and the ministers responsible for their departments before taking leave, including casual leave. Those instructions identified the Lieutenant Governor as the competent authority.
The renewed directive places the leave process for the senior bureaucracy within a more formal chain of communication involving the Chief Minister’s office and the relevant ministers. For departments responsible for essential public services such as education, power, urban development and home affairs, the procedure is intended to ensure that the political executive is informed before senior officials become unavailable.
The Services Department’s warning does not specify in the supplied report what disciplinary action may follow a violation. It confirms, however, that non-compliance will be treated as a serious matter. The order makes prior approval and the circulation of leave applications the immediate requirements for senior officials seeking leave.
