Patna, May 11: The department of social welfare has come up with a new policy under which government employees can take leave with pay for 15 days in two years.

Addressing a news conference, Vijay Kumar Verma, the principal secretary of the department, said: “The government employees can now go on leave with pay. They would get 15 days’ leave every two years. During the leave, they can serve their parents or in-laws. The government has given its approval to the proposal.”

“A government employee gets 180 days of commuted leave in his service period that he uses in cases of illness. This move will allow the employee to take leave in case his parents and in-laws are ill,” he said, adding that an employee will have to give a written declaration to avail this leave.

Verma said old-age homes would be opened in five districts of the state — Gaya, Muzaffarpur, Patna, Bhagalpur and Darbhanga.

Verma said: “A policy focusing on the old people of the state will be drawn up. The elderly with nobody to look after them would be taken care of. Government-aided programmes will be started for the same.” The principal secretary said the move comes in an attempt to ensure that old persons of the state do not suffer.

Under Bihar State Integrated Old People Scheme, problems of the elderly would be dealt with. Verma said suggestions have been asked from different agencies working in this direction.

On the occasion, Verma also spoke about the Juvenile Justice Act. Under the act, each police station across the state has to be provided with a child welfare officer.

“Remand homes have started coming up in Darbhanga and Munger and children are being shifted there. The boundary of the remand home in Purnea is being constructed,” he said. Verma added that 3,034 posts of women supervisors at various anganwadis are being filled.