+LTC Leave travel concession

Intro

  • An employee with one year of continuous service on the date of journey performed by him/his family is eligible for leave travel concession.

  • The parents and /or step parents (stepmother and stepfather) +++(taken to be in-laws in some institutes)+++ who are wholly dependent (max salary 3k) on the Government employees shall be included in the definition of family for the purpose of LTC, irrespective of whether they are residing with the Government employee or not.

  • Ref

    • Swamy’s Handbook
    • Dr

General entitlement

Hometown LTC

  • admissible irrespective of the distance. In the Four year block two home-town trips are eligible in two calendar year blocks. The present blocks are 2022-2023, 2024-2025 and so on.
  • An employee whose family lives away from his headquarters can avail this concession for himself every year in lieu of all concessions.
  • Any one hometown LTC may be converted to all India LTC.

ALL INDIA LTC

  • Admissible in lieu of one of two Home town concessions in 4 year block.
  • A employee and family can visit anywhere in India once in a block of 04 years. Current ALL INDIA BLOCK period 2018-21.

Solo LTC

Instead of concessions under this scheme, one choose to avail of leave travel concession for self only to visit the hometown every year - if family stays away there.

Block years and carry forward of LTC

  • A Government servant and his family may avail LTC in different groups at different times during a block year of two or four years. The concession will be counted against the block of two or four years within which the outward journey commenced. - Rule 9.
  • A Government servant who is unable to avail LTC within a particular block of two or four years can avail the same within the first year of the next block of two or four years.
  • In respect of officials entitled to Home town LTC, the concession can be carried forward to the first year of the next block only if the official is entitled to a carried forward LTC to Home town for that year. Example.–Suppose an official is entitled to two concessions during the two blocks of 2022-2023 and 2024-2025.
    1. In respect of 2022-2023, he can avail the concession to Home town before the grace period, i.e., by 31-12-2024. Then he is entitled to carry forward his LTC to anywhere in India to be availed before the grace period, i.e., by 31-12-2026.
    2. In the above case, suppose the official avails of LTC to Home town after 31-12-2024, this will be debited against the block 2024-2025 and hence he will not be entitled to “anywhere in India LTC”. In this case, he will lose his entitlement for 2022-2023 by not availing it before the grace period.- Rule 10.
  • The Government servant and his family can visit either the same place or different places. -Rule 11. Turn to Page 59.

Tickets

  • a) Journey by Air / Rail / Steamer.- Same as on Tour/ Transfer but the facility of Air Travel for LTC is admissible only from Level 9.
  • b) Travel by premium trains.-From 1-7-2017, travel by premium trains/ premium akal trains, suvidha trains is permissible and the tatkal or premium charges shall also be reimbursable.

Air tickets should be purchased from (F. No. 31011/12/2022-Estt.A-IV):

  • IRCTC

    • sharat NCBS - “more responsive than balmerlawrietravelapp”.

  • balmerlawrietravelapp site

  • Ashok Travels

  • “In case of unavoidable circumstances, where the booking of ticket is done from unauthorized travel agent/website, the Financial Advisors of the Ministry/Department and Head of Department not below the rank of Joint Secretary in subordinate/attached offices are authorized to grant relaxation. "

    • Alliance air, owned by government as of 2023, connects remote airports - ALL.

  • Air - Baggage fees allowed (2022 office email).

  • Government employees are to choose flight having the Best Available Fare on their entitled travel class which is the cheapest Fare available, preferably for Non-stop flight in a given slot, mentioned below, at the time of booking. They are to retain the print-out of the concerned webpage of the ATAs having flight and fare details for the purpose of the settlement of the LTC claims. (GOI Office memorandum - TIFR link)

    • (a) On the day of travel in the desired 3 hours’ slot of following time band - 00:00 hours to 03:00 hours, 03:00 hours to 06:00 hours, 06:00 hours to 09:00 hours, 09:00 hours to 12:00 hours, 12:00 hours to 15:00 hours, 15:00 hours to 18:00 hours, 18:00 hours to 21:00 hours, 21:00 hours to 24:00 hours.
    • (b) With provision of optimizing within a 10% price band, for convenience and comfort.

  • Employees are encouraged to book flight tickets at least 21 days prior to the intended date of travel on LTC, to avail the most competitive fares and minimize burden on the exchequer.

Fresh recruit entitlement

  • Fresh recruits are allowed to travel to their home town along with their families on three occasions in a block of four years and to any place in India on the fourth occasion. This facility is available for the first two blocks of four years after joining the Government for the first time.
  • The first two blocks of four years will apply with reference to the initial date of joining. The first two blocks of four years will be personal to them. On completion of eight years they will be treated at par with other regular employees.
  • No carry-over of LTC is allowed for a fresh recruit. A fresh recruit whose home town and headquarters are same cannot avail LTC to hometown. - GID (4), Rule 8. 4.
विस्तारः (द्रष्टुं नोद्यम्)

2020-2023 (3 Delhi, 1 anywhere)

  • Joined Oct 2019. Covid lockdown and LTC encashment used.
  • 2020 - Nothing.
  • 2021 - V, Su delhi train. Rest - wasted.
  • 2022 - KRV, V, Vaj, Su, Sh - Delhi
  • 2023 - KRV, V, Sh, Su, Vaj - Assam etc.

2024-2027 (3 Delhi, 1 anywhere)

  • 2024 - V, Sh, Su, Vaj - Delhi
  • 2025 - Ladhak ? (“hometown trip: one of these can be converted to a trip to UT of J&K and Ladakh”)
  • 2026 - Andamans
  • 2027 - vasante - (hometown trip) Delhi ?

My LTC trips can be as follows for first 8 years:
2020-2022 (three years hometown trip)
2023: anywhere in India
2024-2026 (three years hometown trip: one of these can be converted to a trip to UT of J&K and Ladakh)
2027: anywhere in India.
Source: TW