Clarification regarding absence during COVID-19 lockdown period

Clarification regarding absence during COVID-19 lockdown period

Dated : 13 May,2021

To,

All Heads of Offices in IA&AD Director (P)

Sub: Clarification regarding absence during COVID-19 lockdown period.

Sir/Madam,

Regularization of absence during COVID-19 lockdown period imposed by the Government to contain the spread of Corona virus has been examined and the following clarifications are issued:

 

SI No    Queries    Clarification   
1 (i) How   to treat the period of quarantine spent by an employee (as per direction of concerned office), who came   into contact with an office colleague, who has tested positive for COVID 19.

 

(ii) How to treat the period of   quarantine spent by an employee (as per direction of concerned office),   whose family member has tested positive for COVID 19.

(iii) How to treat the period of   quarantine spent by an employee (as   per direction of Central/State/Local administration or office)   arising as a consequence of official   travelling.

The period of such quarantine shall be treated as on   duty/Work From Home.   
    (iv) How   to treat the period of quarantine spent by an employee (as per direction of

 

Central/State/Local administration or office) arising as a consequence   of station leave.

(v) How to treat the period. Spent by an employee,   who is on self quarantine as a precautionary measure due to return of his/her   family members from abroad or from other areas of the country during lockdown   period as per the State/Medical Protocol.

The period of such quarantine shall have to be   covered by the official’s leave.   
2    How to treat the period of institutional quarantine/home quarantine/   hospitalization of the officials, who have tested positive for COVID 19.    The period of such institutional quarantine/home quarantine/ hospitalization shall have to be covered by the official’s

 

commuted leave without insisting on Medical Certificate.

3.    (i) How   to treat the period spent by an employee, who is repatriated from deputation   or on transfer and undergoing home or institutional quarantine as per guidelines of Central/State/Local administration before joining the   office.    The period of such quarantine shall be treated as on   duty/Work From Home.   
    (ii) Whether   the joining time will be reckoned from the date of joining duty physically   after the completion of quarantine period or from the date he/she has come to   the concerned city, where his/her office is located.    The provisions of CCS (Joining Time) Rules, 1979 may   be followed. The joining time may be admissible as per CCS (Joining Time)   Rules, 1979 in addition to quarantine period. Joining can be effected through   mail/work from home provided the official is physically in the station of   reporting.   
    (iii) The   practice to be followed regarding credit of un-availed joining time in the   present situation under the extraordinary circumstances caused by the   COVID-19 pandemic.    The provisions of CCS (Joining Time) Rules, 1979 may   be followed. The joining time may be admissible as per CCS (Joining Time)   Rules, 1979 in addition to quarantine period. Joining can be effected through   mail/work from home provided the official is physically in the station of   reporting.

 

    (iv) Whether   joining duty (who are repatriated from deputation or on transfer or new   joining) via electronic media viz. email is permissible or only physical or   in person joining and taking over charge shall be acceptable.    The officers/officials can join office through   electronic media viz email, etc on reaching the headquarters of the office   physically to report.   
4.    The field office has requested to   clarify regarding all such cases where an official was not able to join   office on 1st July because of quarantine/ getting suitable transportation/any   other COVID- 19 related/affected issue, whether they will get increment on   1st July or the later date when they actually resumed the office.    If an employee is on duty including those periods   classified to be as “duty” in these clarifications, then the annual   increment on 1st July or 1st January may be granted as per existing   provisions.

 

If an employee is on leave, then the provisions   contained in CCS (Revised Pay) Rules 2016 may be followed.   

5.    The employees were not allowed to   leave the premises due to building/residential society being sealed/isolated   due to declaration of red zone/containment area by the   District/local authorities.    Such employees who could not attend office due to isolation/sealing of their Building/Residential Society on being declared as containment zone may be treated as duty (Work From Home) subject to production of Notice/Order from concerned District Authorities/Local Authorities/Letter from RWA to the above effect.
6.     Residential society/village did not allow the employees to leave the premises to attend duties    Such employees who could not attend office due to isolation/sealing of their Building/Residential Society may be treated as duty (Work From Home) subject to production of Notice/Order from concerned District Authorities/Local Authorities/Letter from RWA to the above effect.

In absence of any documentary evidence, employees shall apply for leave due as admissible for regulating such absence.

7.     (i) Employees   proceeded to his/her hometown or other places without taking headquarter   leaving permission during lockdown and could not return to headquarter.    In such cases, employee may apply for leave due and   admissible as per CCS (Leave) Rules for entire period of absence.   
    (ii) Employees   proceeded to hometown or other places due to LTC and LTC ended during the   lockdown, but could not return the headquarters due to dislocation of   transport.    Deemed to have joined duty if intimation in any form   indicating difficulty in joining duty due to non-availability of public   transport has been given by the employee to the office.   
    (iii) Employees   who have applied for leave prior to lockdown and left headquarter with   permission and remained outside the headquarter during lockdown and could not come to   headquarter due to dislocation of transport.    Deemed to have joined duty on expiry of leave if intimation in any form indicating difficulty in joining duty due to non-availability of public transport has been given by the employee to the office. If no intimation was received then employee shall apply for leave due and admissible.
    (iv) Employees   who have gone on tour prior to lockdown period and got held up outside headquarter due to dislocation   of transport.    Deemed to have joined duty on the date of expiry of   official tour, if intimation in any form indicating difficulty in joining   duty due to non-availability of public transport has been given by the   employee to the office. If no intimation was received then employee shall   apply for leave due and admissible.   
8.     Treatment of lockdown period as qualifying service for terminal   benefits.    The period of lockdown is governed by the orders   issued by MI-IA and DoPT from time to time. As such, if an employee was   designated to Work From Home then he/she should be treated as on duty for all   purposes and his service treated accordingly.   
9.    How to regulate the absence of those   employees who have been absent during the COVID-19 epidemic lockdown period   and wish to join duties by regulating their absence by applying for leave.    The period of absence may be regularized by grant of   leave due as admissible to the employee by the leave sanctioning authority,   as per extant CCS (Leave) Rules.   

Yours faithfully,

S/d,
(Supriya Singh)
Assistant Comptroller & Auditor General(N)

 

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