Assam: Single male govt employees to attain childcare leave, says CM

Guwahati: The Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday stated that the state government has decided to grant childcare leave to single fathers working in state government departments.

Chief Minister in his social media handle X on Sunday, stated that, "Sometimes life may take unexpected turns and a man may have to be the sole caregiver for a child. If such a scenario ever arises for our State Govt employees, we've got you covered."

"From now on, we will grant Child Care Leave to single fathers to take care of their little ones," the Chief Minister stated.

Earlier, the Assam cabinet approved the amendment of Child Care Leave Rules to allow Child Care Leave (CCL) to single male state government employees who are widowers or divorcees having custody of the child, up to a limit of two children.

As per the rules, eligible employees will now be able to take CCL for a maximum of two years (730 days). An employee can take the leave in multiple phases but not more than three times in a calendar year.

Additionally, government employees who have custody of disabled children will also benefit from the revised policy.

According to the official, the authority will grant the first 365 days with full salary, while the remaining 365 days come with a reduced salary of 80 percent.

An employee can take the leave for a minimum of 15 days at a time. However, the leave is subject to prior approval by the competent authority, ensuring that it does not disrupt essential government functions, the official added.