7th CPC LTC Rules
Leave Travel Concession (LTC) is granted to Central Government employees for travel to various parts of the country and home as well. The number of home travel visits allowed are two. This is made available every four years.
Demand for changes to benefits
There have been several demands to increase the number of times LTC can be availed, particularly for the “All India” visits. There are requests to extend the LTC to foreign countries as well.
Employees working on islands have raised requests to split the hometown Leave Travel Concession(LTC) so that it would be possible to visit families once a year and vice versa. Officers working in Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) have requested for Additional LTC such as that offered to Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs).
Railway employees and officers whose spouses are railway employees have indicated that there are several places that are not connected by rail and visits to these places cannot be scheduled due to the non-availability of LTC. Hence, it was requested to allow the necessary changes to mitigate this issue.
There were requests to split the hometown Leave Travel Concession for employees posted in Ladakh, North East, and Island territories such as Andaman, Nicobar, and Lakshadweep. This would help employees in meeting their families more often.
Demands were also raised for defense forces placed at high altitude, field, and CI Ops regions to be granted an additional free railway warrant. This was also requested to be extended to CAPF personnel and Indian Coast Guards.
Other recommendations for the benefit of Railway employees are as follows:
- Railway employees to be granted “All India” LTC once in four years; hometown LTC will not be applicable.
- In order to procure the LTC, all passes for the ongoing year will have to be surrendered.
- If the employee has already received a pass, then LTC will not be provided for that year.
- If both spouses are Railway employees, either of them will have to surrender the pass.
- The allowance follows the calendar year, not the financial year.
Foreign tour rules for Central Government employees
The Leave Travel Concession has been increased for employees over the years. There are still some areas wherein there could be further relaxations. These are as follows:
- Permission for a journey by air to and from the North Eastern region, for all employees.
- Permission for employees posted in North Eastern states for travel within that region.
- Increase in the LTC periodicity once in 2 years.
- Allow an employee to tour outside the country once in his/her lifetime under the provisions of LTC.
7th CPC travel entitlement on LTC – new rules
According to an Office Memorandum (O.M.) from the Ministry of Finance dated 19 September 2017, the travel entitlements for government employees for Leave Travel Concession would remain the same as TA entitlements. The only exception would be in the air travel entitlement for officers between Level 6 and Level 8 of the Pay Matrix. The air travel entitlement for these employees would be allowed for Travelling Allowance only and not for LTC.
The following conditions are also to be noted:
- There will be no daily allowance for travel through Leave Travel Concession.
- All incidental expenses incurred on local journeys would not be reimbursed.
- Reimbursement under LTC is allowed only for journeys that are performed in government vehicles or Corporation vehicles in the public sector.
- If the journey undertaken is between places that are not connected through public transport, the employee will be allowed reimbursement according to his/her entitlement for journey on transfers. The maximum limit for the same will, however, be 100 km covered by the private transport vehicle. The employee will have to self-certify the claim and submit it. All expenses beyond the upper limit will be borne by the employee.
- Travel through Premium, Premium Tatkal, or Suvidha trains will be allowed under LTC. The reimbursement of Tatkal or Premium Tatkal charges are also provided for the LTC purpose.
- Flexi fare applicable on Shatabdi, Rajdhani, or Duronto trains will be allowed if the travel is performed by these trains on LTC. This component of dynamic fare will not be applicable if a non-entitled government employee travels by air and raises a claim subsequently.
- The rules in the O.M. will be effective from 1 July 2017.
