Representational Image | File Photo: PTI
Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Finance department declared that the merging of leave surrender amount to provident fund and four years ban on withdrawing it will be applicable to all employees of the institutions under government control, including universities. The Finance department issued a new circular as the universities and constitutional institutions violated the reforms by misinterpreting the former orders.
The benefits of leave surrender in the financial year 2022-23 have been merged into the PF. This latest reform will be applicable to the employees in universities, local governing bodies, government-funded institutions, welfare funds, apex groups, self-governing and statutory institutions and public sector undertakings. The circular noted that the salary-distributing officers will be individually responsible for not following the instructions.
Though leave surrender amount was merged in the PF earlier, the Finance department has introduced a time limit to withdraw this for the first time. The severe financial crisis has urged the government to release the new circular.
Meanwhile, the government has neither dispensed the leave surrenders of 2021-22 nor merged them with the PF. The employees will receive this only as terminal leave surrender during retirement.