Bengal govt cancels leaves of all employees amid India-Pakistan tensions

In view of the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, the West Bengal government cancelled the leaves of all state government employees until further notice. A notification issued by the state finance department on May 7 but circulated in the media on Thursday cited the "current situation" as the reason behind the decision.

The order applies to all categories of state government employees, and even those who had earlier been sanctioned leave will now have to report back to duty. Only employees on medical leave will be exempt from the directive, the notification clarified.

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"No official shall leave their headquarters without the written permission of their respective head of the department," it stated.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had on Wednesday said that the leaves of all employees will be cancelled until further notice in view of the current situation.

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Following the state government's directive, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) asked its disaster response teams to remain on high alert, particularly during nighttime, to handle any unforeseen situation, officials said.

The KMC also asked departments to stock up on emergency supplies such as tarpaulin sheets, rice, lentils, and dry food items, they said.

The KMC control room will now operate round-the-clock.

Senior and essential officials have been directed to remain present in the control room.

Moreover, strict instructions have been issued to ensure that officials keep their mobile phones switched on, even during the night.

Increased surveillance has also been ordered at key municipal infrastructure points, including the Tala water tank and other critical reservoirs in the city, they added.