LTC Block Year 2018-21 extended for three months for central govt employees; know details
The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has extended the Leave Travel Concession (LTC) block year 2018-2021 for a period of three months for central government employees. The LTC block year 2018-21 was earlier extended till December 31, 2022, for those employees who had not availed LTC within a particular block of two years or four years.LTC block year extension: All you need to know
As per rule 10 of the CCS(LTC) Rules, 1988, the government servant who is unable to avail of the leave travel concession within a particular block of two years or four years may avail of the same within the first year of the next block of two years or four years. "Accordingly, the block year 2018-21 was deemed extended up to 31St December 2022 by virtue of rule 10 of the CCS(LTC) Rules, 1988," the DoPT said in an Office Memorandum on December 27, 2022.
"In relaxation of Rule 10 of the CCS(LTC) Rules, 1988, exercising the powers conferred under Rule 18 - 'Power to relax', of the CCS(LTC) Rules, 1988, it has now been decided with the approval of competent authority to extend the LTC Block year 2018-2021 (extended) for a period of three months i.e. up to 31st March 2023," the OM said.
A central government employee is eligible for LTC and leaves encashment of 10 days for travel to their hometown or any other destination in the country twice in a block of four years. The government employees whose headquarters or place of posting and hometown are the same are not eligible for hometown LTC, according to DoPT. Do note that the actual journey is mandatory to claim LTC benefits.
In October 2022, the central government extended the LTC scheme allowing relaxation for travel by air to visit the North East Region, Jammu & Kashmir, and Andaman & Nicobar Islands for two years till September 25, 2024.
In an Office Memorandum dated 11th October 2022, the Department of Personnel & Training said, “In relaxation to CCS (LTC) Rules, 1988, the scheme allowing Government servants to travel by air to North East Region (NER), Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), Union Territory of Ladakh and Union Territory of Andaman & Nicobar Islands (A&N) is extended for a further period of two years, w.e.f. 26 September 2022 till 25th September 2024.”
The Department of Personnel & Training has also asked the ministers and the departments to not misuse the LTC scheme. In an office memorandum on October 11, 2022, DoPT said, "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. 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."
Don’t miss out on ET Prime stories! Get your daily dose of business updates on WhatsApp. click here!
This story originally appeared on: India Times - Author:Faqs of Insurances
