Casual Leave (CL) Rules

 

INTRODUCTION

The instructions on the grant of casual leave and special casual leave to Central Government servants paid from Civil Estimates, on specified occasions have been issued by the Government of India from time to time, over a period of years.   A need has been felt for consolidating at one place the instructions issued from time to time and still in force on the subject of grant of casual leave and special casual leave.   Accordingly, it has been decided to bring out the salient features of the existing instructions on the subject with which the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions are now concerned in the form of a Brochure indicating the general principles relating to the grant of casual leave and special casual leave and the special features relating to grant of special casual leave for specific purposes/occasions.   The authority for the various provisions indicated in the different chapters of the Brochure has also been indicated at the end of every para so that the originals could be referred to, whenever necessary.

2.1 Casual leave is not a recognized form of leave. The Government servant on casual leave is not treated as absent from duty and his pay is not intermitted. Casual leave must not, however, be given so as to cause evasion of the rules regarding:-

(i) Date of reckoning allowances

(ii) Charges of office

(iii) Commencement and end of leave.

(iv) Return to duty

Or so as to extend the term of earned or other leave beyond the time admissibility by rule.

(Article 308 Civil Services Regulations)

2.2 The maximum amount of casual leave admissible to the staff serving in civil offices of the Government of India is 12 days in a calendar year, subject to the condition that no more than 8 days casual leave may be allowed at any one time. The Head of the office may, however, relax the limit of 8 days in individual cases of he considers that there are exceptional circumstances justifying a relaxation in this regard.

(MHA OM No, 6/3/59-Estt(A), dated 23rd December, 1959)

2.3 The maximum amount of casual leave in a calendar year in respect of Government servants, who are entitled to less number of public holidays in a year that the number allowed to the office staff in administrative offices, will be 15 days.  (Currently 8 days )

(DP&AR No. 28016/1/77-Estt(A) dated the 17th Sept., 1977)

2.4 Sundays and closed holidays can be prefixed or suffixed to the casual leave. Public holidays and weekly offs falling within a period of casual leave should not be counted as part of the casual leave.

 

(MHA OM No.6/3/59-Estt(A) dated 23rd December, 1959 and 20th August, 1960)

2.5 Restricted holidays can also be prefixed or suffixed to casual leave.

(MHA OM No.20/37/60-Pub.I, dated 7th October., 1960)

2.6 Persons who join Government service in the middle of the year, can be allowed to avail of casual leave proportionately or the full maximum period in a year, at the discretion of the authority competent to sanction the leave.

(MHA OM No.6/3/59-Estt.(A), dated 23rd December, 1959)

2.7 Casual Leave can be combined with Special Casual leave, but where it is permissible to grant regular leave in combination with special casual leave, casual leave should not be granted in combination with both special casual leave and regular leave.

(OM No.46/8/67-Estt.(A), dated 22nd July, 1967)

2.8 Casual leave cannot be combined with joining time.

(Rule 6(2) of the GGS (Joining Time) Rules, 1979)

2.9 Casual leave can be taken while on tour.

 

(M/O Finance OM No. 1(14) E.IV(B)/66, dated 7.2.67)

2.10 Grant of half a day’s casual leave to a Government servant is permissible. The lunch interval will be the dividing line for the grant of half a day’s casual leave. The balance at credit in the casual leave account of Government ser ants can, therefore, be in terms of full day or full days and half a day.

(MHA OM No.60/17/64-Estt.(A), dated 4th August, 1965)

2.11 If a Government servant having only half a day’s casual leave at his credit avails it in the afternoon of a day and is unable to resume duty on the next working day due to sickness or other compelling grounds, he may be permitted to combine half-a-day’s casual leave with regular leave by way of exception in the principle laid down in paragraph 2.1 above. However, a Government servant having only half a day’s casual leave at his credit who has applied for regular leave shall not be permitted to avail of the half a day’s casual leave on the afternoon on the day preceding the commencement of his leave.

(MHA OM No.60/45/65-Estt.(A), dated 4.2.66)

2.12 Half-d-day’s causal leave should be debited to the casual leave account of a Government servant for each late attendance but late attendance up to an hour, on not more than two occasions in a month may be condoned by the competent authority, if it is satisfied that the late attendance is due to unavoidable reasons. Similarly a Government servant, leaves office early before the time for closing of office without permission, half-a-day’s casual leave should be debited to his casual leave account for each such early departure from office.

2.13 If a Government servant having no casual leave to his credit comes late without sufficient justification and the administrative authority is not prepared to condone the late coming but does not at the same time propose to take disciplinary action, it may inform the Government servant that he will be treated as on unauthorized absence for the day on which he has come late and leave it to the Government servant himself either to fall the consequences of unauthorized absence or apply for earned leave or any other kind of leave due to admissible for the entire day and sanction the leave.

(DP&AR OM No.28034/3/82-Estt.(A), dated 5th March, 1982)

2.14 For the purpose of maintaining the account of casual leave, a register is to be maintained. Only one page should be used for a whole year for all the employees in one section (Group) appropriate indication being given in the relevant column against the date on which casual leave or restricted holiday is availed of by an individual and the entry should be attested by the sanctioning office promptly by means of dated initials.

(OM No.46/3/61-Estt.(A), dated 17th July, 1961)

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