Odisha govt regulates foreign visits by officers

Odisha government has regulated foreign trips of its senior officers and restricted it to maxium three times in one financial year, official sources said.
The special secretary of general administsration A K Meena said in a circular said the duration of the visit would not exceed five working days excluding the journey time.
"No officer will be allowed to undertake official foreign visit more than three times during a financial year ... The secretary of the department shall ensure in every case that officers of apppropriate functional level dealing with the subject are spondored/deputed instead of those at higher levels. Secretaries of the department shall travel abroad when their presence is required and no one else can be deputed in his place," it said.

The circular also said that the secretaries should not undertake any foreign visit during the assembly session unless it is considered unavoidable. "Invitation received by officers directly on account of their expertise in a particular domain and where no particular government business is to be transacted will be treated as personal visit," it said.
Meena in the circular said that all proposals relating to foreign visits should be submitted to the chief minister with adequate justification and with required information.
A copy of the proposal shall be endorsed to the respective cadre controlling authority of such officers for information.
Political clearance from MEA and FCRA clearance, if required from MHA, must be obtained before taking up the foreign visit, it said.

"Proposal, complete in all respect seeking approval of chief minister shall be submitted 15 days prior to the date of departure. The approval of the CM may be intimated to the general administration department or concerned cadre controlling department of the officer," it added.