Approval process for officials’ personal foreign trips eased

Jaipur: In a significant policy shift, the Rajasthan government, led by CM Bhajan Lal Sharma, has introduced new guidelines for personal foreign travel of government officials. Under the updated policy, officials no longer need special permission for personal trips, a change that has been positively received across the bureaucracy. The ACS to the CM, Shikhar Agrawal, played a pivotal role in implementing this directive. Previously, all personal travel requests required CM approval, but now officials authorized to grant Privilege Leave can approve travel for their subordinates, streamlining the process. Only officials in sensitive positions— such as disaster management, law and order, District Collectors, SPs, Police Commissioners, and Secretariat secretaries— will still need prior approval from the CS and CM. This new order benefits All India Service officers, State Service officials, and those in subordinate roles, as well as officials on deputation. An online application system has been launched on the Raj Kaj portal to facilitate these requests, marking a positive development in Rajasthan’s bureaucratic landscape.