Without prior permission, no arrangement for foreign trips: Bengal govt to employees

The West Bengal government has tightened norms governing foreign travel by state employees, issuing a stern reminder that no government officer — whether travelling abroad for personal reasons, on Leave Travel Concession (LTC), or on official duty — can proceed without prior permission from the competent authority.

A notification issued by chief secretary Manoj Pant on Sunday, 12 October, emphasised that any travel or accommodation arrangements made without such approval would constitute a violation of administrative rules and attract disciplinary action.

“It has come to the notice of this office that certain government officials across various departments are applying for permission from the competent authority for private foreign visits, foreign visits under LTC, or official visits after already making travel bookings and accommodation arrangements,” the notification stated.

Describing such conduct as a breach of procedural discipline, the order reiterated that “no relaxation or special consideration shall be entertained merely because travel or accommodation arrangements have already been made.”

The chief secretary directed that all heads of departments (HODs) must ensure proposals for leave or official travel are submitted at least four weeks prior to the intended date of departure. This lead time, the order said, was essential to maintain “procedural propriety and administrative compliance.”

Government sources said the move comes in response to repeated instances of officers bypassing established protocols, creating administrative complications and accountability gaps.

“The intention is to enforce regular discipline in the approval process for foreign travel and ensure that the government retains full oversight of where its employees are travelling and for what purpose,” a senior official said.

The directive leaves little room for exceptions — clearly warning that failure to secure prior sanction could lead to administrative action, signalling the Mamata Banerjee government’s push for stricter procedural compliance within the bureaucracy.

With IANS inputs