Officials too barred from making foreign trips

The government on Saturday issued a circular barring all departmental officials from travelling abroad till the drought in the State mitigates.

Additional Chief Secretary K Jairaj wrote to the officials stating that they abstain from going abroad for at least two months.

It would not be advisable for the officials to use the funds set aside by the government under various schemes, projects and programmes, for junkets, he said.

Relief work in drought-affected areas should be taken up on a war-footing and heads of departments at all district and lower levels should tackle drought effectively, he said.

The circular also stated that the drought relief work should not be considered as the responsibility of a single department. All the departments should own up equal responsibility and ensure effective coordination, it said.