From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Sep 5: The state government has come out with a new set of guidelines to regulate frequent foreign visits of IAS/KAS officers and delegations led by ministers in order to make these visits more effective and beneficial to the State.

The guidelines are framed with a view to check the tendency of some officials visiting foreign countries without prior approval.

The state government has directed officials that they cannot visit foreign countries without prior approval from the authorities concerned, including the centre.

The state secretariat’s recent circular on the issue says that officials have to obtain clearances from their department heads and ministers before submitting applications to the chief minister’s office.

The chief minister’s office would not process the applications if they are not cleared by the respective department heads/minister and the department of Administrative Personnel and Reforms (DPAR).

IAS officers and ministers, who take delegations abroad, have to obtain political clearance from the Union Ministry of External Affairs.

For availing transport, accommodation and foreign hospitality, officials have to obtain Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FRCA) clearance from the Union Home Ministry and other clearances from the Finance Ministry, the circular said.

It said that IAS officers have to obtain ‘cadre clearance’ from the centre and to obtain all these clearances from the centre at least 2-3 weeks are required.

After the completion of the foreign visit, officers and ministers have to submit reports to the government on places they visited and delegations they met.

The report should contain the benefit the state would get from their visit.

The foreign visit application must contain details such as places to be visited, duration of the trip, expenditure to be incurred and purpose of visit.

Officials have to provide information on the details of foreign visit of the officers during the last three years; and dates of submission of previous tour reports along with expenditure incurred.

Officials and ministers also have to furnish details regarding involvement of hospitality in foreign countries.

The central government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued guidelines for regulating foreign tours on January 5, 2016.