Cracking the whip on civil servants overstaying on foreign assignment, the government has asked central ministries and states to take strict action like removal from service against such officers.
In a letter to secretaries of central ministries and chief secretaries of states, Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha said a “number of such instances” have come to notice.
“This trend needs to be discouraged by ensuring strict action against errant officers as per extant policy,” he said.
An officer of Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Forest Service (IFoS) can stay a maximum of 5 years on foreign assignment. The letter comes at a time the government is considering an increase in the deputation period to 7 years.
Sinha said under Rule 7(2) of the AIS (Leave) Rules 1955 and instructions issued in November 2015, state governments should initiate proceedings for deemed resignation if the officer does not return from foreign assignment within one month after completion of the approved tenure.
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