North Block, New Delhi-110 001

Dated: 19th June, 2014

Subject: – Clarification regarding purchase of Air Tickets from Authorized Travel Agents for the purpose of LTC. 

The undersigned is directed to refer to the instructions issued from time to time on the above noted subject and say that the Government employees are required to book their air tickets directly from the airlines (Booking counters, website of airlines) or by utilizing the service of Authorized Travel Agents viz. ‘M/s Balmer Lawrie & Company’. ‘M/s Ashok Travels & Tour’ and ‘IRCTC’ (to the extent IRCTC is authorized as per DoPT O.M. No.31011/6/2002-Estt.(A) dated 02.12.2009) while undertaking LTC journey(s).

2. In a number of cases, it has been noticed that the aforesaid instructions are not being followed and as a result various Ministries/Departments continue to make references to DoPT seeking relaxation of the conditions for one reason or the other. The most common reasons given by the employees are unawareness of the rules and non-availability of Authorized Travel Agents viz. M/s Ashok Tmvels, M/s Balmer Lawrie & Company at places where the tickets have been booked from. Even in such cases, the option of booking directly from the airlines through their website is available. In no case is the booking of tickets through any other agency is permissible.

3. All the Ministries/Departments of Government of India are advised to ensure that their employees are made aware of the above mentioned guidelines to avoid breach of any of the LTC rules.

4. This issues with the approval of Joint Secretary(E).

sd/-

(B.Bandyopadhyay)

Under Secretary to the Govt. of India

Source : www.persmin.gov.in

[http://ccis.nic.in/WriteReadData/CircularPortal/D2/D02est/31011_4_2014-Estt-A.IV.pdf]

For a number of years, Central Government employees have been enjoying the benefits of Leave Travel Concession (LTC). When a Central Government employee is employed at a place that is not his home town, then, once every two years or twice every four years, he/she is eligible to reimburse the travel expenses incurred for travelling to and back, along with the entire family.

A BLOCK YEAR consists of four years. The current block year runs from 2010 to 2013. This is divided into two – 2010-11 and 2012-13, and concession to travel to the home town is offered twice.  Instead of two trips to home town, the employee is eligible to convert one of them as ALL INDIA LTC concession. Those who haven’t availed of the concession of the 2012-13 year block can utilize it in 2014.

Depending on their designation, the employees are eligible to utilize air, ship, rail and road transportation facilities, along with the travel class.

In the year 2010, in order to develop Jammu & Kashmir and North-East Region, it was announced that Central Government employees are eligible to travel to these regions via air from Delhi and Kolkata respectively. It was also announced that the travel expenses could be claimed in advance. Following this announcement, Central Government employees have started travelling via air, along with their families. From the HEADQUARTERS, where they are employed, they have to travel to New Delhi or Kolkata by train and go to Shri Nagar or Gauhati by airplane.

This concession is given in two categories, on the basis of grade pay. Those with GP higher than Rs. 4200 and above are eligible to travel from the airport nearest to their work headquarters. Those with GP lesser than Rs. 4200 will have to travel to Delhi or Kolkata by train and continue only the rest of the journey by airplane.

These concessions were initially announced for only two years and then extended to 2013. Each BLOCK YEAR can be carried forward to one year, i.e., those who haven’t utilized the facility in 2012-13 BLOCK YEAR can avail of it until December 2014.

Source: http://90paisa.blogspot.in

[http://90paisa.blogspot.in/2014/04/ltc-will-air-travel-continue-for-next-2.html]