TRENGGALEK – The departure of hundreds of Hajj pilgrims from Trenggalek has temporarily affected the structure of local government offices after several civil servants took extended leave for the annual pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.

Officials from the Trenggalek Regency Government said they had prepared internal arrangements to ensure public services continue running during the absence of several employees and regional officials.

Head of the Trenggalek Personnel and Human Resources Development Agency, Heri Yulianto, confirmed that one of the officials currently on Hajj leave is Karangan district head Mohammad Jafar Said.

“There are indeed several echelon officials leaving for Hajj, including the Karangan district head,” Heri said on Tuesday. “However, we have coordinated internally so public services remain stable.”

Authorities recorded between 449 and 451 Hajj pilgrims departing from Trenggalek early Monday morning. Pilgrims gathered at Pendapa Manggala Praja Nugraha before traveling to the Sukolilo Hajj Dormitory in Surabaya.

The group departed in four separate flight batches. Batch 105 carried 347 pilgrims, while batch 106 included 100 pilgrims. Two additional pilgrims joined batches 109 and 110.

Among the total pilgrims, 30 people work as civil servants within the Trenggalek administration. The group includes 27 permanent civil servants and three government contract employees.

Most of them work in the education and health sectors. Officials recorded 17 employees from the education office and 10 from the health office joining this year’s pilgrimage.

Several medical workers also departed for Hajj, including four specialist doctors from RSUD dr Soedomo.

Heri explained that all participating civil servants submitted official long-leave requests through the government staffing system. Each applicant also provided supporting documents, including departure schedules and administrative requirements.

The leave period varies between 47 and 56 days, with most employees taking around 55 days off for the pilgrimage.

Despite the temporary absence of several officials, the local government said daily administration and public services would continue through internal adjustments in each department. Authorities have also appointed acting officials to fill several positions during the leave period.

Heri added that civil servants on Hajj leave still receive their basic salary and fixed allowances. However, the government will not pay additional employee performance benefits, locally known as TPP, during the leave period.

“Hajj leave is a legal right for civil servants under government regulations,” he said. “Even so, public service responsibilities remain the main priority.”