PMO, panel nod must for babus' trips abroad

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government has tightened norms for bureaucrats going on official trips abroad by making it mandatory for such proposals to go through the prime minister’s office (PMO) and screening committee of secretaries for approval.

Apart from taking prior approval from the PMO, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the latest foreign travel proforma issued by the Central Secretariat and Finance Ministry also says that the details of such visits should be uploaded on the website of the ministries.

The guidelines also state that all tour proposals must now be routed through the Integrated Finance Division for prior consultation before approval from the competent authority in the ministry concerned.

Tour programme proposals should be accompanied with enclosures, including invitation letter, agenda, brief/country position duly approved by the competent authority, along with clearances from the PMO, MEA and the MHA the guidelines state.

The proposals should also include information regarding support, if any, available from the sponsoring organisation to cover the cost of visit and certificate that the composite delegation has not been split and the nodal ministry or its division concerned has been consulted on matters covered by the visit.