Bhubaneswar: The government of Odisha has issued a strict directive through the Finance Department, warning administrative departments against delays in issuing posting orders that lead to abnormal extension of joining time for government employees.
In an official circular issued by Sanjeeb Kumar Mishra, Principal Secretary to the government, the department observed that delays in processing posting orders and joining instructions at various levels have resulted in cases where employees are granted joining time extensions beyond six months.
The circular noted that such delays often arise despite existing provisions that allow administrative departments to sanction joining time up to 120 days, as per earlier finance guidelines. It also referenced multiple government orders outlining procedures for relief from old postings and joining new posts, stressing that extensions beyond prescribed limits should not ordinarily occur if rules are followed properly.
The Finance Department expressed concern that, in several cases, files related to posting orders are being kept pending without adequate justification, leading to avoidable administrative delays and financial consequences, including payment of salaries without corresponding work.
The government stated that audit authorities have flagged such cases negatively, particularly where the extension of joining time results in what is described as idle salary payments to employees.
In response, the Finance Department has directed all administrative departments to fix accountability on responsible officers where delays result in joining time extensions beyond 30 days. It further instructed that any idle salary paid due to such delays should be recovered from the officials responsible.
The circular also made it clear that extensions of joining time beyond the permissible limit should not be treated as routine and must be subjected to strict scrutiny, particularly in cases exceeding 120 days or six months.
Additionally, departments have been instructed to ensure that if an employee reports for duty but awaits formal posting orders, their services should be productively utilised in suitable assignments to avoid unnecessary financial burden on the state exchequer.
The government has further made it mandatory that any proposal seeking extension of joining time must clearly mention the reasons for delay, identify officials responsible, and outline action taken against them before being considered.
All departments have been directed to ensure strict compliance with these instructions, with the Finance Department warning that any deviation will be viewed seriously.
