Bengal govt mulls extension of paternity leave from 30 to 45 days

The West Bengal government is planning to extend the tenure of paternity-cum-child care leave for its employees from 30 days to 45 and expand its ambit to dependent female relatives besides spouse, benefitting a seven-lakh-strong workforce.

A proposal in this regard was mooted by the state personnel and administrative reforms (P&AR) department last week and will be placed before the cabinet soon for clearance, said a P&AR official who did not wish to be named.

The step is being viewed as a move to pacify employees over the huge difference in dearness allowances of Union and other state government employees, before the 2019 general elections.

“The proposal has two aspects. The first will be extension of tenure from the existing period of 30 days to 45 days. The second part is besides spouse, dependent female relatives staying with the state government employee will also be covered,” the P&AR official said.

Bengal minister of state for health Chandrima Bhattacharya neither confirmed nor denied the proposal. “Any government decision can be announced officially after it gets cleared by the state cabinet,” she said.

Besides state government employees, including police personnel, those employed with local bodies such as municipal corporations, municipalities and panchayats, state-aided educational institutions and state government undertakings will also be covered under the scheme. Around 7 lakh employees will benefit from this scheme.

The P&AR department official explained that till now, the paternity leave for 30 days was restricted only in the case of spouse. Now, anyone adopting a child will also be covered under the scheme.

“However, the proposed extended tenure of 45 days will be applicable in case a dependent female relative or female relative is staying with the employee concerned after delivery. These relatives can be the daughter, sister or sister- in-law,” he said.

Detailing further, he said the concept of relative will have two aspects. “The first case will include daughter, sister, sister-in-law or daughter-in-law, who unfortunately became a widow while she was pregnant.”

“The second aspect will include daughter, sister, daughter-in-law or sister-in-law, whose husband is far away from her because of his professional compulsions and hence staying with her father or father-in-law or brother or brother-in-law,” he said, especially stressing on the cases of armed forces personnel.