Central Government Employees Latest News August 16, 2023: The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has issued fresh clarifications regarding LTC for Central Govt Employees.
Central Government Employees Latest News August 16, 2023: The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has issued fresh clarifications regarding the admissibility of catering charges in respect of rail journeys performed on LTC and booking of air tickets on Government Account in respect of LTC.
Central Government Employees receive their salaries as per the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission. The LTC rules for these employees are as per provisions of the Central Civil Services (Leave Travel Concession) Rules, 1988. Following are details of the clarifications made by DoPT.
Reimbursement of Catering charges in case of LTC
In an Office Memorandum dated August 10, DoPT said that reimbursement of catering charges on tickets booked for the purpose of Leave Travel Concession (LTC) will be allowed.
“Keeping in view the fact that Indian Railways is now providing options to the traveller to avail catering facility or not, it has been decided that wherever employees opt for catering services while booking the tickets for the eligible trains for the purpose of LTC, the reimbursement of catering charges shall be allowed,” the DoPT said.
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Reimbursement of Cancellation charges levied by airlines/travel agents
The DoPT has decided that both types of cancellation charges, viz. (i) cancellation charges levied by the airlines and (ii) cancellation charges levied by the three authorized travel agents for utilization of their portals/platforms, if any, shall be reimbursed on the ground of official exigencies only.
Booking of Air tickets through three Authorized Travel Agents viz. IRCTC, BLCL and ATT even in case of the employees not entitled to air travel under LTC
The DoPT has decided that Government employees, not entitled to air travel, are no longer required to book their tickets mandatorily through the three travel agencies.
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“It has been decided that the Government employees not entitled for air travel but wish to travel by air, are no longer required to mandatorily book their air tickets through these three travel agencies viz. M/s Balmer Lawrie & Company Limited (BLCL), M/s Ashok Travels & Tours (AU), Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd. (IRCTC) only as the reimbursement is restricted to the actual air fare or the entitled train/bus fare for the shortest route, whichever is less,” the DoPT said.
“In case of cancellation of tickets, cancellation charges shall be borne by the Government employees concerned. However, in case of Special Dispensation Scheme, the Government employees not entitled for air travel under LTC, but wish to travel by air to the intended place of visit in NE region, UTs of J&K, Ladakh, A & N, are required to book their air ticket through three ATAs only,” it added.
The DoPT further said that the claim of reimbursement in respect of the LTC journey is to be settled as per the above instructions. However, the cases which have already been settled, need not be reopened.
