The government has put curbs on the remedy available to the central government employees to make representations for removal of grievances concerning service matters and also barred them from moving the higher authorities over the head of the immediate boss.

Limitations have been slapped on such remedy on the ground that some employees resort to repeated representations on the same issue that bogs down the official machinery to examine the same matter repeatedly to the detrimental of more important and time-bound issues needed consideration.

The government has debarred the employees approaching the higher authorities unless they establish that their submissions were not adequately considered by the immediate superior officer or head of department.

A circular issued by the Department of Personnel and Training last week advises the government employees to desist from making frequent and numerous representations on the same issue.

It also makes it clear that henceforth the second representation on the same issue will be examined "only if it contains any fresh points regarding new developments or facts having a bearing on the issue."

Even such representations based on fresh points will be allowed only twice. The circular lays down the rule that further representations exceeding two on the same issue will henceforth be ignored, once such a representation has been replied.

It also debars the employees from making a representation to the higher authorities unless he is able to establish that all the points or submissions made therein have not been fully and properly considered by the immediate official superior. "Government servants should desist from prematurely addressing the higher authorities," the circular added.

The employees enjoy the remedy of removal of grievances concerning their service matters, including those concerning salary and allowances, and representations against the orders of the immediate boss under the department's office memorandum of November 1, 1999.