THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Secretary K.M. Abraham has warned IAS, IPS and IFS officers against the ‘growing practice’ of making officials trips outside the state without prior sanction and later seeking ex-post facto sanction.
In a fresh circular issued last week, the Chief Secretary said that though specific instructions in this regard were issued earlier, some officers have been violating this in the pretext of urgency or late receipt of communication.
“Such practice in growing recently,” said the circular issued to All India Service officers of the state on November 8.
Government sources said that the Chief Secretary issued the fresh circular after it came to notice that many officers were rampantly violating the provision of ex-post facto sanction for travelling outside the state for attending training or seminars citing flimsy reasons for not obtaining prior sanction. This was also causing fiscal losses to the government.
“It is reiterated that the proposal for undertaking official journeys outside the state by All India Service officers should be submitted well in advance to the government with the recommendation of the head of department concerned and ensure that prior permission is obtained.
“Only in extremely urgent or exceptional circumstances can an officer travel without waiting for permission and in such cases oral approval has to be taken which is to be converted into written approval upon return,” said the circular.
