Chandigarh: The Haryana Government has tightened the approval process for official foreign visits by government employees, making scrutiny by the office of Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi (IAS: 1990: Haryana), compulsory before proposals are placed before the Chief Minister for final approval.
The revised procedure, notified by the Chief Secretary’s Office on October 30, 2026, covers foreign travel proposals involving All India Services officers, state government employees across Groups A, B, C and D, and personnel of government boards, corporations and statutory bodies.
The move aims to strengthen administrative oversight and ensure that proposals are examined for eligibility, necessity, compliance with applicable service rules and availability of funds before they reach the Chief Minister.
All Foreign Visit Proposals to Go Through Chief Secretary’s Offic
According to the directive, the government observed that proposals seeking approval for official foreign visits were being submitted directly to the Chief Minister.
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To streamline the process, it has now made preliminary examination by the Chief Secretary’s Office mandatory for every such proposal. Departments and other concerned authorities will therefore have to route their requests through this office instead of sending them directly to the Chief Minister.
The directive also clarifies that obtaining cadre clearance from the Chief Secretary’s Office alone will not be sufficient. Each proposal must undergo a detailed preliminary review before being forwarded for the Chief Minister’s consideration.
Which Foreign Visits Will Come Under the New Procedure?
The revised mechanism will apply to a broad range of official overseas engagements, including:
- Study tours: Foreign visits undertaken for exposure and study programmes.
- Training programmes: Overseas training and professional development assignments.
- Conferences and seminars: Participation in international conferences, seminars and related events.
- Official delegations: Visits by government representatives as part of official delegations.
- Official meetings: Overseas travel for meetings and other government-related engagements.
The coverage extends beyond departmental officials to personnel working in Haryana government boards, corporations and statutory bodies.
What Will the Chief Secretary’s Office Examine?
The preliminary scrutiny will assess key aspects of each proposal, including:
- Individual eligibility: Whether the concerned official meets the applicable conditions for undertaking the visit.
- Frequency of foreign travel: How frequently the official has undertaken overseas visits.
- Administrative necessity: Whether the proposed visit serves a genuine official or institutional requirement.
- Budget availability: Whether adequate financial provisions are available for the proposed travel.
These checks are intended to ensure that foreign travel requests are supported by administrative justification and comply with the relevant rules.
Chief Minister to Retain Final Approval
The new arrangement does not transfer the final approval authority. The Chief Secretary’s Office will conduct the preliminary examination, after which eligible proposals will be forwarded to the Chief Minister for final orders.
By introducing this additional scrutiny stage, the Haryana Government has sought to establish a more structured approval mechanism for official overseas travel and bring greater consistency to the processing of such requests.
