Relinquishment of charge on a holiday

3) Relinquishment of charge on a holiday. - 1. A question has been raised regarding the procedure to be followed for relinquishment of charge of office in the case of a retiring Government servant when the day on which he is due to retire happens to be a closed holiday. Since a Government servant shall retire from service with effect from the afternoon of the last day of the month in which his/her date of retirement falls, the retiring Government servant should formally relinquish charge of office on the afternoon of that day itself even if it happens to be a closed holiday. 2. In cases in which handing over of cash, stores, etc., is involved, these may be made over by the retiring officer (to the relieving officer or, in the absence of the relieving officer, to the next senior officer of the Department present) on the close of the previous working day on the analogy of Government of India's Decision No. (3) below Rule 78 of the General Financial Rules. Therefore, the actual relinquishment of charge of office shall be made in the prescribed form on the last day of service for which the physical presence of the officer in the office need not be insisted upon. [G.I., M.F., O.M. No. 19050/8/76-E. IV (B), dated the 21st February, 1977.]