Kochi: Kerala High Court has held that child care leave available to the Union government employees can be taken at a stretch. The court allowed a plea of a CRPF woman constable stationed in Thiruvananthapuram and observed that the Supreme Court had already affirmed a Central Administrative Tribunal order which allowed availing the child care leave at a stretch.
The child care leave is available for mothers having children aged up to 18 years. It consists of 730 days leave.
The court said that there was no provision in the rules that the entire leave could not be availed at a stretch or that it should be availed only for short spells. That could not be a reason for passing orders on an application for child care leave or to compel the petitioner to avails earned leave or report after earned leave.
In her petition, S. Beena, constable at the CRPF group centre, Pallippuram, Thiruvananthapuram said that her application had not been considered. She had applied for the leave in the absence of anybody to look after her two children aged seven and four.
The Central government counsel submitted that the petitioner had already availed of 550 days of leave and she is seeking to avail leave at a stretch when the total leave provided is for 730 days.
