Spending Over Rs 5,000? Take Permission From Boss: Uttarakhand's Bizarre Order

Buying clothes for your spouse, a smartphone for yourself or even an expensive mixer grinder? If you are an Uttarakhand government employee, you will now have to not just inform your boss, but even take clearance from him. 

In a bizarre order, dated July 14, which is already sparking outrage, the Uttarakhand government has said, "Any government servant who enters into any dealing by way of sale or purchase or otherwise in respect of any movable property of the value exceeding his one month's pay or Rs. 5,000, whichever is less, shall immediately report such dealing to the appropriate authority".

"But for any transaction which is carried on by a person other than a regular and reputed businessman, it shall be necessary to obtain the prior approval of the appropriate authority," it said.

Even in cases of immovable property, government employees will have to take the permission of the head of department or the "appropriate authority" before buying or selling. The order mentions leasing and gifting of such properties as well. 

The government has also made it mandatory for employees to declare all immovable property at the time of joining and every five years after that. This will also need to be done for spouses or any member of the family living in the same house. 

'Ridiculous'

Karam Ram, President of the Uttarakhand SC-ST Employees Federation, termed the order "ridiculous" and said it should be withdrawn. "In today's era of inflation and with the 10 types of taxes that need to be paid, nearly everything you go to buy for your wife or children will cost over Rs 5,000," Mr Ram said. 

"If you want to buy a saree for your wife, do you have to take permission from the department head for that too? Do you have to take permission to buy clothes for the children?" he asked.

The order, Mr Ram said, should have been issued after consultations and the limit of Rs 5,000 should be raised to Rs 1 lakh.

Other employees said permission needed to be taken for big ticket purchases like property or vehicles, but the Rs 5,000 aspect has really shocked them.