Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 1: Jammu and Kashmir Government today issued guidelines for grant of leave to its employees in case they or any of their family members become COVID positive, by making some amendments in J&K Civil Services (Leave) Rules, 1979. These guidelines shall be applicable with effect from 25-03-2020.
According to the Government notification issued in this connection, if a Government servant becomes COVID positive and has to remain in home isolation/quarantine, he/she shall be granted Commuted Leave up to 20 days on mere production of his/her COVID positive report. However, if Commuted Leave of 20 days is not available, he/she shall be granted Special Casual Leave (SCL) for 15 days, followed by Earned Leave (EL) or Half Pay Leave (HPL) of 5 days. In case of non-availability of EL/HPL, he/she shall be given Extra Ordinary Leave (EOL) without insisting on production of Medical Certificate and the period of leave shall also be counted for qualifying service.
In case of home isolation and hospitalization of the Government servant following contraction with COVID-19 virus, he/she can avail Commuted Leave/SCL/EL for a period up to 20 days starting from the day he/she tests positive. In case of hospitalization beyond 20 days from his/her testing COVID positive, the employee shall be granted Commuted Leave on production of documentary proof of hospitalization. However, if he/she had to remain at home for post-COVID recovery even after discharge from the hospital, he/she may be granted leave of any kind due and admissible with the approval of concerned competent authority. Further, if CL is not available to the credit of the Government servant, EL or EOL may be considered in his/her favour.
If a dependent family member or parents of the Government servant living with him/her are reported COVID positive, he/she shall be granted leave as admissible under rule 44 of J&K Civil Services (Leave) Rules, 1979 on production of COVID positive report of dependent family member/parents. As per the Government notification, a Government servant shall be treated as on duty/work from home for a period of seven days if he/she comes into direct contact with a COVID positive person and remains in home quarantine. Beyond the period of seven days, the Government servant may get any kind of leave due and admissible to him with the approval of the concerned competent authority.
As per the new amendments made in J&K Civil Services (Leave) Rules, if a Government servant residing in the COVID Containment Zone has to spent a period in quarantine as a precautionary measure, he/she shall be treated as on duty or shall work from home till the Containment Zone is de-notified.
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