Principals to seek approval to avail earned leave for vacation

Principals of government colleges in the state would now have to seek prior approval from higher authorities if they perform duties during summer vacations to claim the benefit of earned leave.

The Department of Higher Education (DHE) authorities have issued directives in this regard. Now, the principals would also have to provide the details of work done during the vacations and the biometric attendance while claiming for earned leaves.

“There is no summer vacation for non-teaching employees in the colleges, hence they work as usual. If needed, the principals came to the office during the vacations for administrative and other work. They are entitled to get earned leave in lieu of performing duties in summer vacations. Earlier, no prior approval was required for it, but now they will have to get prior approval,” said principal of a local college on anonymity.

Sources maintained the directives had been issued on receiving the information that some of the principals donot work full working hours on vacation days but they send their applications to the head office for earned leave in lieu of it.

“It has been observed that the principals/officiating principals at government colleges send their matters to grant them benefit of earned leave in lieu of work done during summer vacation from time-to-time whereas they don’’t seek prior approval of the competent authority as per provision contained in Haryana Civil Service (leave) Rules 2016 under rule 36(2). Due to non-seeking prior approval, the department has to face difficulty in sanctioning earned leave for the period of summer vacation,” reads a communiqué sent by the DHE to the principals recently.