Scheme of optional All India Leave Travel Concession (AILTC) facility, once in a block of four years (i.e. 2018-2021 onwards) on surrender of Privilege Passes (PP)

Scheme of optional ‘All India Leave Travel Concession’ (AILTC) facility, once in a block of four years (i.e. 2018-2021 onwards) on surrender of Privilege Passes (PP).

RBE No. 130/2018

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
(RAILWAY BOARD)

No.E(W)2017/PS5-1/3

New Delhi, dated 10.09.2018

The General Managers (P)
All Zonal Railways &
Production Units.

Sub: Scheme of optional ‘All India Leave Travel Concession’ (AILTC) facility, once in a block of four years (i.e. 2018-2021 onwards) on surrender of Privilege Passes (PP).

Ref: Department of Personnel & Training (DoP&T)’s OM No.31011/15/2017- Estt.A-IV dated 27.03.2018.

Pursuant to recommendations of Seventh CPC, DoP&T have communicated Government’s decision, vide their OM referred above, to allow the Railway employees to avail AILTC facility in accordance with the ‘Central Civil Services (Leave Travel Concession) Rules, 1988’ i.e. CCS (LTC) Rules.

2. Accordingly, in exercise of powers conferred vide Rule 1(3)(iii) of Railway Servants (Pass) Rules, 1986 (Second Edition-1993), the Competent Authority in the Ministry of Railways has accorded approval to exclude such railway servants and other eligible persons (i.e. eligible for PP) from the facility of Privilege Passes in that particular calendar year in which they opt for AILTC facility. Applicants may avail AILTC facility subject to conditions stipulated in para 2 of the referred OM dated 27.03.2018 (copy enclosed as Annexure-I). This facility is further subject to procedural guidelines/conditions stipulated hereunder.

3. These orders shall be applicable to (i) Railway Servants entitled to PPs; (ii) Other government department’s officials serving in railways on deputation and entitled to PPs; (iii) Other officials serving in railways and entitled to PPs; and (iv) Officials of Audit Department (Railway) entitled to PPs. The Competent Authorities concerned shall modify terms and condition of such officials as required and necessary. These orders would not be applicable to those who are undergoing minor penalty of stoppage of even a single PP at the time of application for availing AILTC.

4. Those officials, who opt for AILTC facility, would be issued a “Privilege Pass Surrender Certificate” (PPSC) i.e. a pre-requisite for availing AILTC facility. The “Pass Issuing Authority” (PIA) shall issue the PPSC as per format at Annexure-II, duly following the procedure stipulated as under:-

(i) Applicant employee will submit an application (format at Annexure-III) to the concerned PIA for issue of a PPSC.

(ii) Thereafter, the PIA will first check the “Privilege Pass Account” (PPA) of the ‘ applicant to verify whether the applicant has already availed any PP or not in that particular calendar year.

(iii) If applicant has already availed a PP in that particular calendar year, then the application for issue of PPSC would be rejected and the applicant should be intimated accordingly, as per format at Annexure-IV.

(iv) If applicant has not availed any PP in that particular calendar year, the PIA concerned will disallow operation of PPA by blocking it with an entry (PPSC issued on date …./…/…… /) in PPA so that the applicant is barred from drawing any PP, even inadvertently, during that particular calendar year in which AILTC facility has been opted.

(v) If both husband and wife are entitled to PPs, both have to surrender their respective entitled PPs that are admissible to them in the calendar year in which either of them opt for AILTC facility. In this scenario, PIA will issue a single composite PPSC duly completing Part-II of the PPSC. The following procedure will be followed, additionally, in such cases:-

(a) If PPAs of both the spouses are maintained by same PIA at the time of applying for AILTC facility, then the composite PPSC will be issued by the PIA after receipt of a joint application from both of them.

(b) If PIAs of both the spouses are different (due to any reason or on account of their working in separate Railways/Divisions/Units, etc.), the PPSC shall be issued by the PIA concerned of the applicant only after receipt of a “Confirmation Note in lieu of PPSC”(CN) to be issued (by other PIA as per format in Annexure-V) in favour of spouse of the main applicant. The spouse will apply for CN as per format at Annexure-VI.

(vi) In case of a deputationist (i.e. Railway servant serving on deputation etc in any other organization) and eligible for PPs as per statutory rules, the PIA concerned will issue PPSC as per aforementioned procedure.

(vii) The PIA will issue PPSC/CN or intimate about rejection/non-acceptance of the request, as the case may be, within ten working days of receipt of application.

(viii) After issue of PPSC/CN, request for its cancellation and re-opening of PPA will not be entertained on any ground, even if AILTC facility could not be availed due to whatsoever reason i.e. whether administrative or personal reasons.

(ix) The role of PIAs will cease once “PPSC” is issued to the applicant. Matters such as advance/reimbursement/travel entitlements during availing of AILTC shall be dealt by other respective Sections of Personnel/Accounts Department handling Travelling Allowance claims, taking into account PPSC as a basic document alongwith other documents stipulated in the CCS (LTC) Rules.

(x) A duplicate PPSC/CN can only be issued under special circumstances by the PIA concerned after taking approval of the Principal CPO.

5. The Railways should administer the AILTC facility strictly in accordance with the CCS (LTC) Rules-1988, as modified from time to time, without any deviation. It may be noted that ‘Home Town LTC/Home Town converted LTC” shall not be admissible to railway servants and the definitions of beneficiaries for LTC (e.g. members of family, dependents), dependency criteria, etc are different from that of Railway Servants (Pass) Rules, 1986. A copy of DoP&T’s letter No.31011/7/2013-Estt.(A)-IV dated 26.09.2014, containing clarifications and illustrations on administering LTC entitlements of “Fresh Recruits” is enclosed as Annexure-VII. Accordingly, the AILTC facility shall be regulated fully by the conditions and definitions as laid down in the CCS (LTC) Rules.

6. Regarding travel entitlements for availing of AILTC facility, copies of following OMs, as applicable on date, are enclosed:-

It may be noted that DoP&T have stipulated vide their OM dated 19.09.2017 that (i) the travel entitlements for the purpose of LTC shall be the same as TA entitlements as notified vide MoF’s OM dated 13.07.2017, excepting the air travel entitlement for the employees in Level 6 to 8 of the Pay Matrix (para 3) and (ii) the other conditions that would govern the LTC facility (para 4). Hence, the same entitlement prevailing in civil side (i.e. not as per railway entitlement) will be applicable for availing  AILTC facility.

7. To summarize, the position, as contained in above OMs, with certain modifications, is briefly brought out in the table below:-

8. The Zonal Railways and PUs are advised to get themselves familiarized with the extant CCS (LTC) Rules as well as clarifications available in the official website of DoP&T (i.e. presently (i) https://dopt.gov.in/ccs-ltc-rules and (i) https://dopt.gov.in/ notifications/oms-and-orders/ © Establishment o LTC Rules). It may also be noted that OMs/Notifications related to CCS (LTC) Rules issued and uploaded from time to time by DoP&T in their official website will come into force with immediate effect for regulation of AILTC facility as being extended by this order. Hence, these orders/instructions will not be circulated separately by the Ministry of Railways. Accordingly, the Railways and PUs should regularly visit the official website of DoP&T and download the latest instructions from time to time for settling claims of LTC etc and for compliance.

9. However, if any clarification in respect of TA Rules notified by Ministry of Finance is required, the same may be addressed to the Nodal Dte. in Board’s office viz. Finance Establishment Dte. for further examination and issue of appropriate clarification/reply.

10.This issues with the concurrence of the Finance Directorate of Ministry of Railways.

11. Hindi version will follow.

(V. Muralidharan)

Dy. Director Estt. (Welfare)-I

Railway Board