How many days of leave can a Head of Department sanction?
Based on: C.S.II-8/2011 12598/F, 24594/F
You are a Head of Department in Odisha, and a Class-I officer working under your administrative control has applied for 75 days of earned leave. You need to know if you can sanction this yourself under your delegated powers or if you must forward the application to the Administrative Department. At the same time, you are planning your own leave and want to know if these same powers allow you to approve your own absence.
The short answer
As a Head of Department, you can sanction leave for up to 90 days for Class-I officers and 120 days for Class-II officers working under your administrative control, provided they are not under orders of transfer. However, you cannot use these powers to sanction your own leave; any leave application for yourself as a Head of Department must be submitted to the Administrative Department for approval.
What the rule actually says
The Finance Department Office Memorandum No. C.S.II-8/2011 12598/F dated 28th March, 2011 delegated enhanced powers under Rule 4 read with Rule 5 of the Odisha Service Code for items in Appendix-1:
Heads of Deptt. [can grant leave] Upto 90 days to Class-I Officers working under their Administrative Control... provided the Officer is not under the orders of Transfer. This memorandum amended the earlier Finance Department Office Memorandum No. 24594/F dated 29.05.1999 by increasing the leave sanctioning limits for Class-I officers from 60 days to 90 days, while keeping the existing Class-II provisions active.
How it works in practice
The memorandum outlines distinct sanctioning limits for Heads of Departments and Collectors depending on the category of the officer. The table below details the old limits under the 1999 memorandum versus the current limits:
| Authority | Category of Officer | Old Limit (1999 Order) | New Limit (2011 Order) | Critical Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heads of Department | Class-I Officers | Up to 60 days | Up to 90 days | Officer must not be under orders of transfer. |
| Heads of Department | Class-II Officers | Up to 120 days | Up to 120 days | Existing provision continues. |
| Collectors | Class-I Officers | Up to 30 days | Up to 60 days | Officer must be under their administrative control. |
| Collectors | Class-II Officers | Up to 60 days | Up to 90 days | Provided the officer is not under orders of transfer. |
Additionally, the memorandum upgraded the powers to extend joining time under Rule 208: * Appointing Authorities can now sanction an extension of joining time up to a maximum of 90 days (previously limited to 30 days). * Departments of Government can sanction an extension of joining time up to a maximum of 120 days (previously limited to 60 days).
Where people get this wrong
- The Transfer-Order Trap: The moment an officer is under orders of transfer, your delegated power to sanction their leave is suspended. This restriction applies even if the requested leave is only for a few days and the officer has not yet been formally released.
- Self-Sanctioning: A Head of Department cannot sanction their own leave. Since you do not "work under your own administrative control," any leave you take must be sanctioned by your parent Administrative Department.
- Medical Validity Exclusions: This delegation does not apply to special disability leave, or leave on a medical certificate where the officer is being declared finally invalid for return to duty. Such cases must follow the specific procedures in Rules 176, 177, and Rule 18 of Appendix 13 of the Odisha Service Code.
Ensure your establishment section updates its administrative registers to check these updated limits before processing any files. Check the transfer status of every applicant before signing the sanction order to prevent audit objections. For your own leave, route the application to the Administrative Department well in advance to avoid any gap in approval.