Kolkata, June 4 The West Bengal government on Wednesday lifted the leave restrictions for its employees that were imposed in the second week of May during Operation Sindoor, the Indian Armed Forces' cross-border strikes on several terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir in the wake of the Pahalgam massacre.
Following the lifting of the restrictions, the state government employees will now have the liberty to apply and avail of the leaves that are due to them according to their requirements.
The notification on the leave restriction was issued by the state’s Additional Chief Secretary, P.K. Mishra, on May 8, through which the administration cancelled all leaves of the state government employees, except medical leaves, for an indefinite period in the wake of the prevailing situation then amid Operation Sindoor.
Even all the leaves previously sanctioned to the state government employees before the issue of the notification were also cancelled. Through the notification, the state government also barred the state government officials and staff from leaving their headquarters without the written permission of their respective Heads of Departments.
However, the question that is taking the rounds in the corridors of power is whether the state government had lifted the restriction in a hurry considering that both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Home Minister Amit Shah, during their recent visits to West Bengal, have clearly stated that Operation Sindoor had not ended as yet.
However, an official from the state Personnel & Administrative Reforms Department held that the leave restrictions cannot be a permanent affair. "The restriction was imposed on May 8 because of the nationwide situation prevailing then. Now, the situation has normalised, and hence the restrictions have been lifted. The same might be imposed again if the necessity arises," he held.
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