Guidelines on Air Travel on Official Tours – Purchase of air ticket from authorized agent

Guidelines on Air Travel on Official Tours – Purchase of air ticket from authorized agent

No. 19024/2212017-E.IV
Government of India
Ministry of Finance
Department of Expenditure

North Block, New Delhi
Dated the 19th July, 2017

Office Memorandum

Subject:  Guidelines on Air Travel on Official Tours – Purchase of air ticket from authorized agent.

The undersigned is directed to refer to this Departments’ O.M. No. 19024/1/2005-E.IV dated 24.03.2006, O.M. No. 19024/1/2009-E.IV dated 16.09.2010 and O.M. No. 19024/1/2012-E.IV dated 09.07.2013 regarding guidelines on Air travel. As per these guidelines, in all cases of Air Travel where the Government of India bears the cost of air passage, Air Tickets may be purchased directly from Airlines (at Booking counters/office/website of Airlines) and if needed, by utilizing the services of three Authorized Travel Agents viz. M/s Balmer Lawrie & Company Limited (BLCL), M/s Ashok Travels & Tours (ATT) and Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd. (IRCTC).

This Department is receiving a large number of proposals from various Ministries/Departments seeking ex-post-facto relaxation of the prescribed procedure for purchase of air tickets from authorized travel agents only.

The matter has been reconsidered in this Department. All Ministries/Departments are again directed to:

(i) Ensure strict compliance of extant guidelines for purchase of air ticket directly from Airlines (at Booking counters/office/website of Airlines) or from three authorized Travel Agents viz. M/s Balmer Lawrie & Company Limited, M/s Ashok Travels & Tours and IRCTC only by all officials/offices under their control. Henceforth relaxation on account of ignorance/unawareness of these guidelines will not be considered by this Department.

(ii) In case of non-availability of authorized agent at a particular place, ticket may be booked from website of Airlines or web portal of Balmer Lawrie & Company Ltd., M/s Ashok Travels & Tours and IRCTC.

(iii) In respect of Non-officials of Committees/Boards/Panels, the concerned Ministry/ Department have to mention in the meeting notice that the Non-official Member has to purchase the ticket from authorized travel agent only otherwise his claim will not be settled by that Ministry/Department.

(iv) All Ministries/Departments of the Government of India, etc. have to widely circulate this O.M. in all offices including attached/subordinate offices/ autonomous bodies under their control with specific instructions to Heads of Departments concerned for strict compliance of these guidelines. Non-compliance of these guidelines by Ministries/Departments will be treated as lapse on the part of the concerned Ministry/Department.

(Nirmala Dev)
Deputy Secretary to the Government of India