Absence during COVID-19 lockdown period - Clarification by Comptroller & Auditor General of India

Clarification regarding absence during COVID-19 lockdown period: Comptroller & Auditor General of India

Circular No. 18 -Staff Entt.11/2021
No. 74-Staff Entt.11/20-2018

भारत के नियंत्रक एवं महालेखापरीक्षक का कार्यालय
Office of the Comptroller &
Auditor General of India
9, दीन दयाल उपाध्‍याय मार्ग,
9, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg
नई दिल्‍ली – 110 124

दिनांक / Date : 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-1 9 lockdown period imposed by the Government to contain the spread of Corona virus has been examined and the following clarifications are issued:

Sl 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.
1	(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 or 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/Med ical 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.
	(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 .1om 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 JOll1 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 “duty11 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.
7	(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 transpo1i 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 MHA 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.