ALL INDIA AUDIT AND ACCOUNTS OFFICERS’ASSOCIATION

(Recognized by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India)

Ref. No.400-staff (JCM) 63-2018 dated 27.08. 2019

Secretary General President

O.S.Sudhakaran, Binoda Kumar Upadhayay
Ozhichirinjalil(House) 70A/72A, Stanely Road,
Kadangode(Post) Allahabad
Thrissur(District) Kerala,680584 Uttar Pradesh

094479 03440 09415685284

Email : auditacounts2018@gmail.com Website: auditaccountsofficers.blogspot.com

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No. AIAAOA/CAG/2020-21/ 09 23.06.2020

To
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India
Pocket 9, Deen dayal Upadhyay Marg
New Delhi- 110124

Sir
Sub: Request for treatment of absence during lockdown period as duty /special
casual leave

Ref: i. This Federation letters dated 11.5.2020, 13.06.2020 and 19.06.2020

ii. HQrs Office clarification regarding absence during COVID 19 lockdown

period, dated 19.6.2020

While appreciating the swift action of the Hqrs. Office in issuing the clarification on the subject
cited, we regret to state that the gravity of the situation has not been fully recognised by the
Hqrs. Office while issuing the clarification.
It has been clarified (for Sl. Nos.3 and 4) that “the employees who did not join duty on
23.03.2020 and 24.03.2020 ……………may be allowed to apply for leave for the entire period
till they returned to their duty station and re-joined duty” in cases of “Sl.no.3: Employees who
were on leave prior to issue of lockdown orders (25.03.2020) and their leave ended on
20.03.2020, but did not join duty on 23.03.2020 (Monday) or 24.03.2020 (Tuesday)” and
“Sl.no.4: Employees who left duty station for the week-end with due permission i.e. on
20.03.2020, but did not return to duty station on 23.03.2020 (Monday) or 24.03.2020
(Tuesday)”.
In this connection, this Federation reiterated through letters dated 11.05.2020 and 19.06.2020,
the situation prevailed in the country after the declaration of ‘Janata Curfew’ on 22.03.2020
was unexpected, unprecedented and uncommon and the situation was beyond the control of the
common man arresting the mobility in toto to which the officers and the staff of the IA&AD
could not be an exception. Many of the States like Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Uttar
Pradesh, Kerala etc. were under curfew/lock down on 23.03.2020 onwards. As the situation
prevailed in different parts of the country was very precarious and many of the State
Governments had declared curfew or lock down followed by the Janata curfew on 20.03.2020,
many of the officers who had left their place of duty station with or without permission were
virtually unable to report for duty on 23.3.2020 and 24.3.2020 followed by the nationwide
lockdown from 25.3.2020 onwards. Realizing the catch 22 situation of those hapless
employees, which was beyond their control, some other Departments, considering the inability
of the staff to attend the duty or office, have ordered such cases of absences to be treated as
duty or special casual leave.

The morale and self-confidence of all people have been shattered due to the outbreak of novel
corona virus and so an approach which instills sense of confidence, solace and comfort besides
self-boosting is need of the hour. Unfortunately, the clarification issued by the Hqrs. office
directing those who had left their duty station on 20.03.2020 and did not report/re-join duty on
23.03.2020 and 24.03.2020 to apply for leave for the entire period till they reported for duty is
highly inhuman and contrary to the practice hitherto followed despite the fact that the gravity
of the situation faced by the staff of this Department had been well apprised by this Federation.

It may not be out of place to mention that our field parties strive hard in discharging their duties
and responsibilities bearing with untold sufferings and constraints and they really deserve
appreciation and due care to go ahead with motivation and high spirit. The unexpected
difficulties encountered by them should also be addressed with great concern and humanity.

The sudden suspension of train services and the hint of impending total lockdown, the people,
who were staying away from their families due to their occupational compulsion, started
desperately rushing to join their families. The employees and officers of the IA&AD were no
exception to that. As those employees were left with very little time to move out, many of them
even couldn’t submit a formal application for being away from place of work/station or wait
for granting of permission in cases of employees who submitted their application. Sudden
suspension of transport facilities too created two worrisome situations for the employees who
were in the run for staying safe namely (i) the employees irrespective of their grades, who left
their place of work/station to join their family, were not able to attend the office though they
had been continuing to discharge their duties by working from home as far as possible and (ii)
the employees, who proceeded on leave and held up away from the place of work/station due
to lockdown could not join duty on the expiry of their leave period.
In view of the above, it is therefore requested that
i. Clarifications issued to situations mentioned at Sl. Nos. 3 and 4 in the reference
second cited may kindly be reconsidered appreciating the situation prevailed in
different parts of the country as brought out above and the absence of employees
whose leave ended on 20.3.2020 and who left duty station on 20.03.2020 but could
not rejoin duty on 23/24.03.2020 owing to the conditions mentioned above be
treated as Duty as a special case and
ii. The period spent by an employee who was asked to remain in quarantine on return
from outstation duty may be treated as Special casual leave.
Several Central Government Departments including Railways, ISRO etc. have taken very
lenient view while regularising the lockdown period which will be a morale booster to their
employees and a similar lenient consideration is requested for the employees in the IA&AD as
well.
Thanking you,
Yours faithfully

(O.S.SUDHAKARAN)
Secretary General