The introduction of “Ex-India Leave,” previously exclusive to government employees and MLAs, has now been expanded to include sarpanches and panches too.
To guarantee that development activities in their panchayats remain unaffected during their absence, sarpanches and panches in Punjab must now obtain prior approval from the state government before traveling overseas.
The Department of Rural Development and Panchayats has established new standard operating procedures (SOPs) for elected panchayat officials, requiring them to obtain leave approval prior to traveling abroad.
The introduction of “Ex-India Leave,” previously exclusive to government employees and MLAs, has now been expanded to include sarpanches and panches too.
In a communication sent to all Additional Deputy Commissioners and District Development and Panchayat Officers (DDPOs), the Director of Rural Development and Panchayats outlined the SOPs to adhere to when a sarpanch or panch engages in a private foreign trip.
Sources indicated that the government made this decision after hearing that rural development frequently faced delays when officials from panchayati raj bodies traveled overseas, typically during winter, to see relatives or for other purposes
An official said that the absence of sarpanches and panches has had a serious impact, not only on everyday development work, but also on providing certificates of caste and income, etc., that needed their signatures. Currently, the state has 13,238 sarpanches and 83,437 panches.
Maninder Singh, district president of the Sangrur Sarpanch Union, called it a step in the right direction. “If there is some other person who is officiating as a sarpanch or a panch, the villagers will hardly face any problem in getting their routine work done,” he said.
The letter states that the authority responsible for granting the “Ex-India Leave” to sarpanches and panches will be the Block Development and Panchayat Officer (BDPO). Typically, the leave request must be submitted one month prior to the intended departure.
If a sarpanch goes overseas, a panch will be designated to act in the position according to Section 20(5) of the Punjab Panchayati Raj Act, 1994.
When they return, the sarpanch or panch must provide an attendance report to the appropriate authority, after which the elected representative will take over the panchayat again.
The letter additionally mentions that if a sarpanch or panch wants to prolong their leave while overseas, they need to send a request to the BDPO via email or phone.
