In a significant administrative reform aimed at removing long-standing ambiguities in service matters, Haryana Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi has issued detailed guidelines clearly distinguishing between a government employee's hometown and permanent address. The move is expected to bring greater transparency and consistency in transfer, posting and personnel management across all government departments and institutions.
The fresh instructions have been circulated to all Administrative Secretaries, Heads of Departments, Divisional Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners, Managing Directors of Boards and Corporations, Registrars of universities and other government institutions for strict compliance.
The government has clarified that the terms 'Hometown' and 'Permanent Address' are distinct and should not be treated interchangeably while implementing conduct rules and transfer/posting policies.
According to the guidelines, an employee's hometown will ordinarily be the village or city where he or she was residing before joining government service. It may also be the place where the employee's family currently resides, where the employee is required to frequently visit for domestic and social obligations, where the employee or the family owns residential property, or where close relatives are residing.
The instructions provide greater flexibility to employees by allowing them to choose a new permanent residence after joining government service. If an employee settles at a new station after marriage, family relocation or purchase of a residential property, that place can be declared as the employee's permanent address with the approval of the competent authority. However, the government has made it clear that such a change will not alter the employee's officially recorded hometown.
The clarification also reiterates the rationale behind the existing policy that gazetted officers cannot ordinarily be posted in their home districts. The government has observed that posting officers away from their hometown helps prevent bias, conflicts of interest and undue influence arising from proximity to relatives, friends or local interests. It also promotes impartiality, professional integrity, objectivity and public confidence, particularly in departments dealing with sensitive matters such as land administration, taxation, law and order, development projects and public funds.
Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi has also clarified that while a government employee may change his or her permanent address during service or even after retirement, the home district linked to the employee's hometown will remain unchanged.
Furthermore, cases in which changes to the hometown or permanent address have already been approved by the competent authority will not be reopened.
The government has directed all departments to treat these instructions as an amendment to earlier guidelines wherever required and ensure their implementation in both letter and spirit.