Babus may get seven-year foreign posting; Govt to relax rules

In a good news for bureaucrats, the Centre has decided to relax norms to allow officers to stay on foreign posting and central deputation for a maximum period of seven years from the existing five-year duration.
Further, the departments will be empowered to form rules to have deputation tenures longer than seven years by amending the relevant recruitment rules of such deputation post accordingly.
The move comes after various ministries and organisations approached the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) for relaxation of the five-year deputation tenure condition "citing exigencies".
It has been decided that if the administrative ministries or departments and other borrowing organisations wish to retain an officer beyond five years, they may extend tenure of deputation, where absolutely necessary in public interest, upto a period not exceeding seven years at a stretch, as per the draft rules formed by the DoPT.

This shall be done with the approval of the minister of the borrowing ministry concerned and in respect of other organisations with the approval of the minister of the borrowing ministry with which they are administratively concerned, keeping in view the exigencies and subject to fulfilment of all other requirements, it said.
"In cases where the necessity to have deputation tenures longer than seven years is felt, the concerned administrative ministries, departments or borrowing organisations may amend the relevant recruitment rules of such deputation post accordingly, after following the requisite procedure," the draft norms reads.

The development assumes significance as some bureaucrats were demanding easing of norms related to foreign postings, official sources said.

The DoPT had last year issued directives to all ministries warning officers that they may lose jobs for overstaying on foreign posting. Some babus had termed it as a harsh rule and were allegedly lobbying for its revision, they said.
Meanwhile, all ministries have been asked to send their comments on the draft rules to extend foreign posting and central deputation tenure to the DoPT by February 3.
In a related development, Finance Ministry has recently issued guidelines on foreign tours. Bureaucrats can go on a maximum four overseas trips in a year, as per the new norms.