Taking a cue from the Narendra Modi government at the Centre, the Devendra Fadnavis government in Maharashtra on Monday imposed fresh curbs on foreign tours by bureaucrats saying they should restrict their overseas trips to three in a year.
Extending the new curbs to civil servants and functionaries of statutory boards and public undertakings, the government further ruled that the duration of such foreign trips should not exceed 15 days.
The Chief Minister-led General Administration Department (GAD) issued an order in this regard on Monday. The order comes at a time when the debt on the state exchequer is mounting.
Spelling out the state’s austerity drive, the order stipulates that a prior approval from the Chief Minister himself would be mandatory for foreign trips.
“In exceptional circumstances when the CM’s prior approval cannot be obtained, an approval from the department minister will be sought. This approval will be subject to CM’s eventual approval,” the order states.
Trimming down circumstances demanding a foreign visit, the government has said that only those tours which are beneficial to the state’s growth and are unavoidable would be granted a clearance.
The order also stipulates that foreign trips for garnering information that could be publicly available or can be obtained through video conferences should be avoided.
All government departments have also been directed to ensure that the smallest possible delegation goes for such trips. “Proposals for taking persons who are not related to the tour’s motive should not be entertained even if their expenses are to be privately met,” the order says.
The state government has also barred officials from embarking on trips for seeking foreign assistance to state projects and schemes unless these were approved by the Union Ministry of External Affairs. It has further said banned invitations, scholarships and seminars, which are addressed to an individual.
The government has also barred officials to embark on a foreign trip in their final year of service. Ministers and secretaries won’t be permitted to travel at the same time.
It has said that disciplinary action would be initiated against department secretaries if proposals seeking approval for foreign trips do not conform to these guidelines.
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