LTC New Rule: If you are a central government employee, then this news may be of use to you. Actually, the central government has extended the scheme allowing travel to Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Northeast region under Leave Travel Concession (LTC) by two years. Earlier the period of the scheme was ending on 25 September 2024, but now government employees can avail the benefits under the scheme till 25 September 2026. Let us tell you that eligible central government employees get reimbursement of tickets for to and fro travel in addition to paid leave on availing LTC.
What is in the government order
Recently, the Personnel Ministry in an order said that all eligible government employees can avail LTC to visit any place in these areas (Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Northeast region) in lieu of conversion of one of their home town LTC in a block period of four years. According to the order, government employees who are not entitled to air travel are also allowed to travel by air in economy class by any airline to these areas.
According to the order, government employees who are entitled to air travel can book flights in the entitled class from their headquarters. Non-entitled employees are allowed to travel in economy class on certain routes. These specific routes are:
-Between Kolkata/Guwahati and any place in the North Eastern region
-Between Kolkata/Chennai/Visakhapatnam and Port Blair
-Between Delhi/Amritsar and any place in Jammu & Kashmir/Ladakh
Booking Rules
Employees should follow government guidelines when booking air tickets. This includes using legitimate travel agents and using the best available fares. Apart from this, it is also important to follow the rules related to selecting the right booking time and reimbursement.
The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) also emphasises the need to prevent misuse of LTC benefits. The government order has asked ministries and departments to conduct random audits on air tickets submitted by employees to verify the actual travel expenses incurred against the amount claimed.
