treatment of extraordinary leave for pensionary benefits.

(1) Need for making proper entries for treatment of extraordinary leave for pensionary benefits. - Under Rule 21 of the CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972, extraordinary leave grated on medical certificate qualifies for pension. The Appointing Authority may, at the time of granting extraordinary leave, also allow the period of such leave to count as qualifying for pension if the leave is granted to a Government servant - (i) due to his inability to join or rejoin duty on account of civil commotion, or (ii) for prosecuting higher technical and scientific studies. Extraordinary leave taken on other grounds is treated as non-qualifying and, therefore, a definite entry is to be made in the service records to that effect. Entries regarding service being qualifying or otherwise are required to be made simultaneously with the event. Even where this is not done, it should still be possible to rectify the omission during the period allowed for preparatory action, i.e., from two years in advance of the retirement date up to eight months before retirement. At the end of that period, however (i.e., when the actual preparation of the pension papers is taken in hand), no further enquiry into past events or check of past records should be undertaken. Specific entries in the service records regarding non-qualifying periods will be taken note of and such periods excluded from the service. All spell of extraordinary leave not covered by such specific entries will be deemed to be qualifying service. [G.I., M.F., O.M. No. F.11 (3)-E. V (A)/76, dated the 28th February, 1976 - Paragraph 3 (a).]