7th Pay Commission: Big relief announced for these central government employees, deets inside

Big relief for all the central government employees who were on leave or on outstation office duty and were not able to report back on time due to the Coronavirus lockdown being imposed in between.

The central government has issued a clarification in regard to the employees who were facing the prospect of being marked absent from duty due to the lockdown.

The Department of Personal Training (DoPT) issued an Office Memorandum saying, "This department has been receiving several references/queries from Central government employees who proceeded on leave, with station leave permission, but could not report for duty due to non-availability of public transport/ flights and restrictions on inter/intrastate movement of persons as per Ministry of Home Affairs orders from time to time, to contain the spread of Covid-19 pandemic in the country."

The DoPT has considered the matter and the following clarifications relating to regularization of a period of absence during the lockdown have been issued in this regard.

1) Situation: Government servants who were on official tour duty and could not return to their headquarters due to the non-availability of public transport.

Clarification: Deemed to have joined duty on the date of expiry of the official tour, if intimation in any form, indicating difficulty in joining duty due to non-availability of public transport/flights, has been given by the Government servant to the office.

2) Situation: Government servants who were on leave prior to the issue of lockdown with effect from March 25, 2020, with their leaves ending during the lockdown period.

Clarification: Deemed to have joined duty from the date of expiry of leave, if intimation in any form, indicating difficulty in joining duty due to non-availability of public transport/flights has been given by the Government servant to the office. In case of leave on medical grounds, it is subject to production of medical/fitness certificate.

3) Situation: Government servants who left the headquarters prior to lockdown, i.e. on March 20, 2020 (Friday), but could not return to on March 23, 2020 (Monday) due to non-availability of transport.

Clarification: Deemed to have joined on March 23, 2020, if intimation, in any form indicating difficulty in joining duty due to non-availability of public transport/flights has been given by the Government servant to the office.

4) Situation: Government servants who were on leave prior to the issue of lockdown orders with effect from March 25, 2020, and the leave expired during the lockdown period, but who wish to curtail the leave before expiry and join duty.

Clarification: Curtailment of sanctioned leave may not be agreed to, unless allowed by the leave sanctioning authority only in rare cases based on official exigency. From the date following the date of expiry of leave during the period of lockdown, the employee may be deemed to have joined duty.

All the ministries/departments and their attached/subordinate offices are directed to regulate the period of absence strictly as per the above clarifications.