IAS officers now cannot take leave without chief secretary’s approval, Odisha govt issues notification

The Odisha General Administration and Public Grievance Department on Saturday issued a notification stating that Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers now cannot take leave without prior approval from the Chief Secretary.

The move from the Odisha government came after reports surfaced that several officers were going on leave without authorisation, leading to disruptions in administrative work. The government has taken strict note of such cases and decided to enforce discipline in the bureaucratic setup.

According to the notification, unauthorized absence and leaving the headquarters without permission have been causing significant inconvenience in governance and public service delivery. The directive aims to ensure that officers remain accountable and available for duty.

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The state administration has warned that strict action will be taken against officers violating this rule. The government expects all IAS officers to adhere to the guidelines and obtain necessary approvals before availing leave.

“It has come to the notice that in some cases, the officers are availing Leave/ leaving Headquarters leaving permission without obtaining prior permission of the Chief Secretary. This results in unavoidable dislocation of official works,” the notification read.

“It is therefore decided that, prior permission of the Chief Secretary shall be mandatory for all IAS officers of the State while availing leaves as well as headquarter leaving permissions,” it read further.

This Instruction shall be followed henceforth with due diligence, the notification stated.