Ahead of Diwali and other festivals, the Centre has announced good news for its employees. It has extended by two more years, the Leave Travel Concession (LTC) facility available to its employees who visit Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Northeast.
The scheme has been extended for a further period of two years, from September 26, 2022 till September 25, 2024, an order issued by the personnel ministry said. The eligible central government employees get reimbursement of tickets for to and fro journeys, besides paid leave, when they avail LTC.
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Government servants not entitled to travel by air are also allowed to travel by air in economy class by any airline to any place in the northeast, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh from their headquarters directly, it said. The ministry has also warned employees that any misuse of LTC will be viewed seriously and they will be liable for appropriate action.
"All the ministries/departments are advised to bring it to the notice of all their employees that any misuse of LTC will be viewed seriously and the employees will be liable for appropriate action under the rules," the order said.
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In order to keep a check on any kind of misuse of LTC, ministries/departments are advised to randomly get some of the air tickets submitted by the officials verified from the airlines concerned with regard to the actual cost of air travel vis-a-vis the cost indicated on the air tickets submitted by the officials, it added.
All eligible government servants may avail LTC to visit any place in the northeast, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh against the conversion of their one home town LTC in a four-year block period, the order said.
Government servants, whose home town and headquarters/place of posting are same, are not allowed the conversion of any home town LTC, it said.
The government servant whose home town is situated in the northeast, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh will also be allowed conversion of home town LTC for availing this scheme to visit any place in any one of the three regions out of the above mentioned four regions except the region wherein his/her hometown is situated, the order said.
Fresh recruits are also allowed conversion of one of the three home town LTCs in a block of four years, applicable to them to visit the northeast, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, it said.
In addition, they are allowed one additional conversion of home town LTC to visit Jammu and Kashmir/Ladakh in a block of four years, the order said.
(With inputs from PTI)
