Central Civil Services (Leave Travel Concession) Rules, 1988

No: --- Dated: Apr, 01 1988

CENTRAL CIVIL SERVICES (LEAVE TRAVEL CONCESSION) RULES, 1988

1. Short title, commencement and application. –

(1) These rules may be called the Central Civil Services (Leave Travel Concession) Rules, 1988.

(2) They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.

(3) Subject to the provisions of sub-rule (4), these rules shall apply to all persons –

(i) who are appointed to civil services and posts including civilian Government servants in the Defence Services in connection with the affairs of the Union;

(ii) who are employed under a State Government and who are on deputation with the Central Government;

(iii) who are appointed on contract basis; and

(iv) who are re-employed after their retirement.

(4) These rules shall not apply to –

(a) Government servants not in whole-time employment;

(b) persons in casual and daily rated employment;

(d) Railway servants;

(e) members of the Armed Forces;

(f) local recruits in Indian Missions abroad; and

(g) persons eligible to any other form of travel concession available during leave or otherwise.

2. Special provisions regarding certain categories of employees –

(1) In the case of persons belonging to categories mentioned in clauses (ii), (iii) and (iv) of sub-rule (3) of Rule 1, the leave travel concessions shall be admissible on completion of one year’s continuous service under the Central Government and provided that it is certified by the appropriate administrative authority that the employee concerned is likely to continue to serve under the Central Government for a period of at least two years in the case of Leave Travel Concession to hometown and at least four years in the case of leave travel concession to any place in India to be reckoned from the date of his joining the post under the Central Government.

(2) In the case of officers appointed on contract basis, where the initial contract is for one year but is later extended, the total duration of the contract will be taken into account for the purpose of leave travel concession.

(3) In the case of persons re-employed, immediately after retirement without any break, the period of re-employed service will be treated as continuous with the previous service for the purpose of leave travel concession and the concession allowed for the re-employed period, provided that the leave travel concession would have been admissible to the re-employed officer had he not retired but had continued as serving officer.

Illustration:- If an officer has availed of the concession to visit any place in India in respect of a block of four years before his retirement and he is re-employed without any break, he cannot avail this concession till the expiry of the particular block of four years.

3. Scope – The leave travel concession will cover the Government servant himself and his family.

4. Definitions.- In these Rules, unless the context otherwise requires, -

(a) "a place in India" will cover any place within the territory of India, whether it is on the mainland India or overseas;

(b) "controlling officer" means an officer declared as such under Supplementary Rule 191;

(c) "Disciplinary Authority" shall have the same meaning as assigned in clause (g) of Rule 2 of the Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1965;

(d) "Family" means:-

(i) the Government servant’s wife or husband, as the case may be, and two surviving unmarried children or step children wholly dependent on the Government servant, irrespective of whether they are residing with the Government servant or not;

(ii) married daughters who have been divorced, abandoned or separated from their husbands and widowed daughters and are residing with the Government servant and are wholly dependent on the Government servant;

(iii) parents and/or step mother residing with and wholly dependent on the Government servant;

(iv) unmarried minor brothers as well as unmarried, divorced, abandoned, separated from their husbands or widowed sisters residing with and wholly dependent on the Government servant, provided their parents are either not alive or are themselves wholly dependent on the Government servant.

EXPLANATIONS:

1. The restriction of the concession to only two surviving children or step children shall not be applicable in respect of ( i) those employees who already have more than two children prior to the coming into force of this restriction i.e. 20.10.1997; (ii) children born within one year of the coming into force of this restriction; (iii) where the number of children exceeds two as a result of second child birth resulting in multiple births.

2. Not more than one wife is included in the term "Family" for the purpose of these Rules. However, if a Government servant has two legally wedded wives and the second marriage is with the specific permission of the Government, the second wife shall also be included in the definition of "Family".

3. Though it is not necessary for the spouse and children to reside with the Government servant so as to be eligible for the Leave Travel Concession, the concession in their cases shall, however, be restricted to the actual distance traveled or the distance between the headquarters/place of posting of the Government servant and the hometown/place of visit, whichever is less.

4. Children of divorced, abandoned, separated from their husbands or widowed sisters are not included in the term "Family".

5. A member of the family whose income from all sources, including pension, temporary increase in pension but excluding dearness relief on pension or stipend etc. does not exceed Rs.1500 p.m. is deemed to be wholly dependent on the Government servant.

(e) "hometown" means the town, village or any other place declared as such by the Government servant and accepted by the controlling officer;

(f) "shortest direct route" shall have the same meaning as given in Supplementary Rule 30 and orders issued thereunder from time to time.

Govt. of India’s Decision

(1) LTC to a newly married husband of a female Government servant.

When a female Govt. servant proceeds to her hometown, availing of the Leave Travel Concession and gets married in the hometown, LTC may be allowed also to be husband of the female Govt. servant, for the journey performed by him from the hometown to the headquarters of the female Govt. servant.

[OM No. 48/2/65-Ests.(A), dated 2.4.1965]

(2) On the recommendations of Task Force, Govt. have decided that the existing LTC Scheme for Central Govt. servants as amended from time to time, shall be modified to the extent indicated below with immediate effect-

(i) Advance on account of LTC may be sanctioned by the Head of the Office instead of by the Controlling Officer.

(ii) Where the shortest route by which the journey is required to be performed is disrupted due to accidents or other causes, the power to grant reimbursement by the actual route traveled may be exercised by the Controlling Authority, instead of by the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms in consultation with the Ministry of Finance (Department of Expenditure) as at present.

(iv) ***

(v) ***

(vi) LTC to visit hometown in a block of two years and to any place in India once in four years will be allowed both ways during leave preparatory to retirement provided the return journey is completed before the expiry of the leave preparatory to retirement.

[ MHA OM No. 31011/1/77-Ests.(A) dated 1.10.1977]

(3) What is the scope of the expression "any place in India"?

The expression "any place in India" will cover any place within the territory of India whether it is on the mainland, or overseas. If there are any local restrictions on visits to places in border areas, it is the responsibility of the Govt. servant undertaking the visit to fulfil the conditions for visit to the places which are subject to local restrictions.

***

(4) Condition of "residing with" waived in respect of spouse and children.

It has been decided that in cases where the Government servant has left his/her spouse and the dependent children at place other than his/her Headquarters, he may be allowed LTC in respect of them from the place of their residence to hometown in a block of 2 years or any place in India in a block of 4 years, as the case may be, but the reimbursement should in no case exceed the actual distance traveled by the family or the distance between the headquarters/place of posting of Govt. servant and the place visited/hometown, whichever is less. In the case of other members falling within the definition of "family" the existing conditions and restrictions will continue to be in force.

[DOPT OM No. 31011/14/86-Est.(A), dated 8.5.1987]

5. Change of Hometown.- The hometown once declared and accepted by the controlling officer shall be treated as final. In exceptional circumstances, the Head of the Department or if the Government servant himself is the Head of the Department, the Administrative Ministry, may authorise a change in such declaration provided that such a change shall not be made more than once during the service of a Government servant.

Govt. of India Decisions

(1) From time to time enquiries have been received as to how exactly the “home town” should be determined. The conditions of ownership of property and permanent residence of relatives laid down in para 1 (4) of this Ministry’s Office Memorandum of 11^th October, 1956 are only illustrative and not exhaustive for determining one’s home town.The correct test to determine whether a place declared by a Government servant may be accepted as his hometown or not is to check whether it is the place where the Govt. servant would normally reside but for his absence from such a station for service under Government. The criteria mentioned below may, therefore, be applied to determine whether the Govt. servant’s declaration may be accepted-

(i) Whether the place declared by Government servant is the one which requires his physical presence at intervals for discharging various domestic and social obligations, and if so, whether after his entry into service, the Government servant had been visiting that place frequently.

(ii) Whether the Government servant owns residential property in that place or whether he is a member of a joint family having such property there.

(iii) Whether his near relations are resident in that place.

(iv) Whether, prior to his entry into Government service, the Government servant had been living there for some years.

NOTE.- The criteria, one after the other, need be applied only in cases where the immediately preceding criterion is not satisfied.

Where the Government servant or the family of which he is a member owns a residential or landed property in more than one place, it is left to the Government servant to make a choice giving reasons for the same, provided that the decision of the Controlling Officer whether or not to accept such place as the hometown of the Government servant shall be final.

Where the presence of near relations at a particular place is to be the determining criterion for the acceptance of declaration of ‘hometown’ the presence of near relations should be a more or less permanent nature.

2. It has been decided, in view of the comprehensive revised definition of “home town”, to give further opportunity to declare the home towns afresh within a time limit (i.e. by the 31^stOctober, 1958) to all those who might be affected by the revised definition (e.g. whose earlier declarations were rejected but who would now become eligible to declare particular places as their hometowns, or who might like to have a change affected in the light of the revised criteria). Such fresh declaration after approval by the Controlling Officer will be treated as the “first declaration” and not as a change of declaration in terms of para 1 (4) of this Ministry’s Office Memorandum No.43/1/56-Estt. Part II, dated the 11^th October, 1956.

3. Those Government servants who because of the revised definition now become eligible for the leave travel concession would, however, be eligible only for the concessions commencing from the one relating to the 1958-59 block.

(MHA OM No. 43/15/57-Ests. (A) dated 24.6.1958)

6. Declaration of place of visit under Leave Travel Concession to any place in India.-

When the concession to visit any place in India is proposed to be availed of by a Government servant or any member of the family of such Government servant, the intended place of visit shall be declared by the Government servant in advance to his controlling officer. The declared place of visit may be changed before the commencement of the journey with the approval of his controlling officer but it may not be changed after the commencement of the journey except in exceptional circumstances where it is established that the request for change could not be made before the commencement of the journey owing to circumstances beyond the control of the Govt. servant. This relaxation may be made by the Administrative Ministry/Department or by the Head of the Department, as the case may be.

7. Admissibility of Leave Travel Concession.-

(1) The leave travel concession shall be admissible to persons of the categories specified in clauses ( i ) and (iii) of sub-rule (3) of Rule 1 only, if they have completed one year’s continuous service under the Central Government on the date of journey performed by him or his family, as the case may be, to avail of the concession.

(2) The leave travel concession shall be admissible during any period of leave, including casual leave and special casual leave.

Govt. of India Decision

(1) *** In every case the journey should be to the home and back but it need not necessarily commence from or end at the headquarters of the Government servant either in his own case or in the case of the family. But the assistance admissible will be the amount admissible for the actual distance traveled, limited to the amount that would have been admissible had the journey been performed between the headquarters and the ‘home’ of the Government servant.

*** In the case of a Government servant serving in a vacation department, vacation will be treated as regular leave for the purpose of this concession.

***

The class of railway accommodation to which a Government servant and his family will be entitled is the class to which he is entitled under the normal rules at the time the journeys are undertaken.***

*** The Government servants should inform the Controlling Officer before journeys for which assistance under this scheme will be claimed are undertaken. They should also produce evidence of their having actually performed the journey, for example, serial numbers of railway tickets, etc.

A record of all assistance granted under these orders shall be suitably maintained. In the case of Gazetted Officers, the record shall be maintained by the Accounts Officer concerned. In the case of non-gazetted staff, the record should be in the form of entries in the service book or other appropriate service records and should indicate the date or dates on which the journey or journeys to the "home" commenced. The authority responsible for the maintenance of the service record shall ensure that on every occasion a Government servant proceeds on leave which is entered in that record, the fact whether or not he availed of the travel assistance under these orders is indicated.

[MHA OM No. 43/1/55-Estt.(A) –Part-II dated 11.10.56]

(2.) LTC not admissible on resignation

The concession will not, however, be admissible to a Government servant who proceeds on regular leave and then resigns his post without returning to duty.

(3.) LTC to hometown outside India

A Government servant who declares, subject to the satisfaction of the Controlling Officer, that his hometown is outside India, will also be entitled to the leave travel concession for visiting his hometown. Government’s assistance in such a case will be limited to the share of the fares for journey (i ) up to and from the railway station (by the shortest route) nearest to the hometown or (ii) the railway station for the nearest port of embarkation/disembarkation in India. The term "nearest port" for this purpose means the port in India nearest to the hometown of the Government servant.

*** Family can perform journey separately

Where a Government servant and his family perform journeys separately, there is no objection to his presenting separate claims. In each case, however, the claim should be for both outward and inward journeys.***

[MHA O.M. No. 43/5/57-Ests.(A) dated 4.9.1957]

(4.) An officer who is his own Controlling Officer for purposes of travelling allowance should make the initial or any subsequent declaration of his hometown to his next superior administrative authority for acceptance. This procedure should also be followed in cases where declarations have already been sent direct to the Accounts Officers concerned by officers who are their own Controlling Officers. The Comptroller and Auditor General and Secretaries to Government will, however, communicate the initial declaration of hometowns as well as any subsequent declaration for change therein direct to the Accounts Officers concerned.

[MHA OM No. 43/5/57-Ests.(A) dated 11.2.1958]

(5.) Entitlement of LTC in special cases

Leave travel concession will be admissible to the members of Government servant’s family with reference to the facts existing at the time of forward and return journeys independently. The following types of cases are given by way of illustrations:-

I. Entitled to reimbursement in respect of outward journey only:

(i) A dependent son/daughter getting employment or getting married after going to hometown or remaining there for prosecution of studies.

(ii) The family having performed the journey to hometown have no intention of completing the return journey from hometown, provided the Government servant foregoes in writing the concession in respect of the return journey if performed by the family members at a subsequent date.

II. Entitled to reimbursement in respect of the return journey only:

(i) A newly married wife coming from hometown to headquarters station or a wife who has been living long at hometown and did not avail herself of the leave travel concession in respect of the outward journey.

(ii) A dependent son/daughter returning with parents or coming along from hometown where he/she has been prosecuting studies or living with grandparents, etc.

(iii) A child who was previously below five/twelve years of age but has completed five/twelve years of age only at the time of the return journey.

(iv) A child legally adopted by a Govt. servant while staying in the hometown.

[MHA OM No. 43/10/58-Ests.(A), dated 11.12.1958]

(6.) LTC to industrial & work-charged staff-

Industrial and work-charged staff who are entitled to regular leave will also be eligible to avail of the Leave Travel Concession in the same manner as other Central Govt. employees. The first block in their case would be 1960-61.

*** *** *** ***

[MHA OM No. 6/7/59-Ests.(A), dated 15.6.1960]

(7) LTC in combination with transfer/tour TA-Mode of Regularisation.

Normally, the following types of cases are likely to arise when a Govt. servant combines a journey on LTC with one on transfer or tour:-

(i) Leave Travel Concession in combination with transfer journey-. An officer going to hometown on regular leave proceeds therefrom on transfer to the new headquarters.

(ii) Leave Travel Concession in combination with tour journey.-

(a) An officer proceeding with proper prior permission to hometown on regular leave from a tour station and returns to headquarters direct from hometown; and

(b) an officer proceeding to a tour station from hometown with proper prior permission and returns to headquarters therefrom.

It has been decided that the combined claims in such cases should be regulated as indicated below-

(a) In the cases of the category of para (i) above, the officer may be allowed as his minimum entitlement transfer travelling allowance under SR 124 or SR 126, as the case may be. He may be allowed in addition, Leave Travel Concession under the rules to the extent the distance from old headquarters to hometown and from hometown to the new headquarters exceeds the distance for which transfer-travelling allowance is admissible.

In cases where the distance for which Leave Travel Concession, however, be open to the Govt. servant not to avail of the Leave Travel Concession at all, being permitted to avail of it on some other occasion within the block period, subject to other conditions being fulfilled.

The option has to be exercised in respect of self and the members of the family at the time of preferring claim for transfer travelling allowance.

When Leave Travel Concession is not availed of, the Leave Travel Concession advance, if any, taken by the Govt. servant should be adjusted against his travelling allowance entitlement.

(b) In the case of the category of para (ii) (a) above, travelling allowance as on tour may be allowed for the journey from the headquarters to the tour station from which the Government servant proceeds to hometown and Leave Travel Concession for the journey from tour station to hometown and back to headquarters deeming the tour station as the starting point for the onward journey.

The limitation contained in para 1 (3) of Ministry of Home Affairs, Office Memorandum No. 43/1/55-Ests.(A)-Part II, dated the 11^th October, 1956, will be applicable in computing the amount of Leave Travel Concession admissible.

(c) In the case of the category of para (ii) (b) above, Leave Travel Concession as admissible under the rules may be allowed from headquarters to hometown and travelling allowance as on tour for the journey from hometown to tour station and back to headquarters.

In cases falling under para (ii) the provisions of Ministry of Finance, Office Memorandum No. F. 5 (44)-E.IV/48, dated the 23^rd April, 1948 (given below), will have to be complied with.

Extract of OM dated 23.4.1948, referred to above.

It has come to notice that cases of transfer of charge of an office elsewhere than at headquarters are becoming somewhat more frequent than normally. In the circumstances, it has been decided that to ensure prevention of any possible abuse of the spirit of the rules it will meet the object in view if orders in all such cases are issued by an officer not below the rank of Joint Secretary of a Ministry of the Government of India or embody the fact of his approval having been given.

(MHA OM No. F.43/15/59-Ests.(A), dated 19.7.1960)

(8) LTC to India based officers serving in India Missions/Posts abroad

The cases of India based officers and members of staff serving in India Missions/Posts abroad when they come to India on home leave or home leave- cum-transfer will be divided into the following three types for the purpose of LTC:-

(i) Officers coming on home leave and going back to their old posts on the expiry of leave.

(ii) (a) Officers coming on home leave-cum-transfer to a post in India.

(b) Officers going on home leave-cum-transfer to a post outside India.

(iii) Officers coming on leave-cum-transfer to a post in another foreign country.

For the first category, the port of disembarkation in India on the approved route will be reckoned as the starting point for the commencement of the leave travel concession to the hometown and the reimbursement allowed at par with that admissible to employees in India.

(a) In regard to the category of officers at (ii) (a) above, the journey will be performed from the port of disembarkation in India to the new Headquarters via the hometown. The officer may be allowed as his minimum entitlement transfer travelling allowance under IFS Rules, 1954, as modified from time to time. He may be allowed, in addition, leave travel concession under the rules to the extent the distance from the port of disembarkation to hometown and from hometown to the new headquarters exceeds the distance from which transfer travelling allowance is admissible ***. (For officers whose hometowns are en route on the journey from the port of disembarkation to the new headquarters, or in case where the distance for which leave travel concession would be admissible as above is negligible it will be preferable to claim transfer travelling allowance only.)

(b) In regard to category of officers at (ii) (b) above, the journey will be performed from the headquarters in India to the port of embarkation in India via the home town. The officer may be allowed as his minimum entitlement transfer Travelling Allowance under IFS Rules, 1954, as modified from time to time. He may be allowed, in addition, leave travel concession under the rules to the extent the distance from headquarters in India to hometown and from hometown to the port of embarkation in India exceeds the distance for which transfer travelling allowance is admissible . (For officers whose hometowns are en- route to the journey from headquarters in India to the port of embarkation, or in cases where the distance for which Leave Travel Concessions would be admissible as above is negligible, it will be preferable to claim transfer travelling allowance only.)

The third category of officials may be allowed as his minimum entitlement transfer TA under IFS Rules, 1954, as modified from time to time. He may be allowed, in addition, Leave Travel Concession under the rules to the extent the distance from the port of disembarkation to hometown and from hometown to the port of embarkation exceeds the distance for which transfer traveling allowance is admissible.*** (For officers whose hometowns are en route of port of disembarkation to the port of embarkation, or in case where the distance, for which Leave Travel Concession would be admissible as above, is negligible, it would be advantageous to claim transfer traveling allowance throughout and no Leave Travel Concession will hence be admissible.)

(MHA Letter No. 43/7/59-Ests.(A), dated 6.7.1959)

(9) LTC to officers of autonomous bodies deputed to Central Government.

The officers of autonomous bodies deputed to Central Govt. will be treated as temporary Government servants during the period of their deputation with the Central Government and allowed Leave Travel Concession accordingly.

(MHA Letter No. 43/6/59-Ests.(A), dated 24.7.1959)

(10) LTC within India to the staff of the Indian Aid Mission in Nepal and other personnel sent to Nepal under India’s Aid Programme.

The point of commencement/end of the forward/return journey in India for the purpose of Leave Travel Concession in respect of the staff will be the nearest Railway Station in India to the place of posting of the staff in Nepal from which they actually commence their onward journeys/complete their return journeys. When the officer is coming to India on home leave-cum-transfer, the journey will be performed from the place of entry in India to the new headquarters via the home town. For the journey from the place of entry to the home town, Leave Travel Concession would be admissible and for the journey from home town to headquarters, transfer TA restricted to what would be admissible had the journey been performed directly from the place of entry in India to the headquarters, will be permitted. (For officers whose home towns are en route on the journey from the place of entry in India to the new headquarters, it would be preferable to claim only transfer TA throughout and no leave travel concession will hence be admissible.)

(MHA Letter No. 43/7/59-Ests.(A), dated 10.9.1959 and

31011/8/78-Ests.(A), dated 14.3.1980)

(11) LTC to officers of All India Services.

They or the members of their families will not be entitled to avail of the concessions for a particular block, if they or the members of their family, had availed of the concessions from the State Govt. for that block before being deputed to service in connection with the affairs of the Union. Similarly, on reversion to the State Govt., they will not be entitled to the concession for a particular block period, if concessions for that block had been availed of, while the officer was serving in connection with the affairs of the Union.

The expenditure incurred on account of Leave Travel Concessions availed of by such officers and/or their families during the period of their deputation with the Centre, shall be borne by the Central Govt. and the expenditure on concessions earned by these officers during the period of their deputation with the Centre but not availed of during that period, will be borne by the State Govt. concerned.

(MHA OM No. 16/1/69-AIS(II), dated 15.7.1969)

(12) Admissibility of LTC to Central Govt. servants deputed to other than top posts in the Public Sector Undertakings, etc.

The deputationists may be given an option either to choose the Leave Travel Concession admissible to the corresponding employees of the Public Sector Undertakings or under the Central Govt. Rules, whichever is more favourable to them. However, a Central Govt. servant deputed to a Public Sector Undertaking would not be entitled to avail of the LTC from the Public Sector Undertaking concerned for self and/or his family for the duration of the block of two years, if he and/or his family, as the case may be, had already availed of the concession under the Central Govt. during the block; and on reversion if the Central Govt. employee and/or his family has availed of LTC under the rules of the Public Sector Undertaking concerned, he would not be entitled to LTC under the Central Govt. for the duration of the block in which he had already availed of this concession. There may also be cases where a Govt. servant exercises an option to avail the LTC under the rules of the Public Sector Undertakings but could not actually avail the concession during the term of service in the Undertakings. In such a case, on reversion to Govt. service, the Govt. servant and his family should be entitled to avail the concession for a particular block only under the Central Govt. Rules.

(DPAR OM No. 43/2/60-Ests.(A), dated 7.7.1971)

(13) Reimbursement of Special Supplementary Charges for travel by Super Fast Express trains.

Doubts have been expressed as to whether the Special Supplementary Charges levied by the Railways for travel by Super Fast Express trains in reserved accommodation could be reimbursed in respect of journeys on Leave Travel Concession. In view of the provisions of Ministry of Finance (Department of Expenditure), OM No. 19023/2/73-E.IV(B), dated the 6^thAugust, 1973 (not reproduced), under which the said special supplementary charges could be reimbursed for journeys on transfer, it is hereby clarified that those charges may also be reimbursed in respect of journeys on Leave Travel Concession.***

In cases where the journey for which Leave Travel Concession claim is preferred is performed otherwise than by rail between places connected by rail and the claim is restricted to the amount which would have been admissible had the journey been performed by rail, the amount to be reimbursed shall not include the Special Supplementary Charges.

(DPAR OM No. 43/4/73-Ests.(A), dated 7.6.1974)

(14) LTC to Central Government servants deputed to other than top posts in the Public Sector Undertakings.

Deputationists to posts, other than the top posts, in Public Undertakings may be given an option either to choose the Leave Travel Concessions as admissible to the corresponding employees of the Public Sector Undertakings or as admissible under the Central Government Rules, whichever is more favourable to them. A question has been raised whether fresh option can be allowed in a case where the rules relating to Leave Travel Concession are revised by the Undertaking concerned after the Govt. servant had joined it on deputation and had exercised his option in terms of the aforesaid Office Memorandum of 7.7.1971. It is clarified that a fresh option may be allowed in such cases also.

(DPAR OM No. 43/5/74-Ests.(A), dated 16.1.1976)

(15) LTC to officials under suspension.

A question has been raised whether LTC is admissible during the period of suspension. It is clarified that a Govt. servant under suspension cannot avail of LTC as he cannot get any leave including casual leave during the period of suspension. As he continues to be in service during the period of suspension, members of his family are entitled to LTC.

(All India Service Manual, Fifth Edition, Part I, page 233)

(16) LTC to Central Govt. employees deputed to top level posts in Public Sector Undertakings.

The undersigned is directed to refer to paragraph 3 (v) of this Department’s OM No. F. 1 (3)-Est.(P-II)/80, dated 27.7.1981 (not reproduced), which inter alia provides that while on deputation to a Public Sector Undertaking a Central Govt. employee will be allowed concessions as admissible to corresponding employees of the Undertaking.

It has now been represented that while under the Central Govt., LTC is available to Govt. employees, in some of the Public Sector Undertakings similar concessions are not available.

When a Central Govt. employee is deputed to a top level post in a Public Sector Undertaking, where LTC is not available, then he will be eligible for the LTC as in the case of other Central Govt. employees provided that provision for its admissibility has been incorporated in the orders placing the employee on foreign service with the Undertaking concerned. In those Public Sector Undertakings where the concession is available the deputationist Govt. employees will be entitled only to those concessions. As regards the Central Govt. employees already on foreign service with Undertakings, where the concession is not available, action may be taken in consultation with the Undertakings concerned to modify suitably the terms and conditions of their deputation so as to make them eligible for the concession. The cost of the concession in all such cases will, however, be met by the Undertaking concerned.

(DOPT OM No. 2 (16)-Est. (P-II)/82, dated 6.3.1984)

(17) LTC to the Central Govt. employees while on `Study Leave’ .

The leave travel concession is admissible to the Central Govt. employees while on study leave. In such cases the claim are to be regulated as under-

(a) For Self:

Government servant can avail LTC from the place of study leave to any place in India/hometown, subject to the condition that the reimbursement of fare should be restricted to the fare admissible for travel between his headquarters station to any place in India/hometown or actual expenditure, whichever is less;

(b) For the Family Members:

(i) When the family members are staying with the Govt. servant at the place of his study leave :

The reimbursement will be as indicated at (a) above;

(ii) When not staying at the place of study leave:

The reimbursement will be as under the normal terms and conditions of the LTC Scheme.

(DOPT OM No. 31011/1/88-Ests.(A), dated 30.3.1988)

(18) LTC when both husband and wife are Government servants and are residing together.

According to the definition of family as given under rule 4, which is applicable, in travel inter alia, for the purpose of admissibility of LTC, the family of a Government servant includes wife or husband, as the case may be, residing with the Government servant and children residing with and wholly dependent upon the Govt. servant. In addition, it includes the parents, sisters and minor brothers, if residing with and wholly dependent upon the Government servant.

According to the existing position where both husband and wife are Govt. servants and are residing together, they constitute one family unit for the purpose of LTC and only one of them can claim this concession and the other spouse travels as a member of his/her family. In such a case, the Govt. servants are required to make a joint declaration of a common hometown, which can be the hometown of either of the spouses or a third place. Therefore, the spouse who avails the LTC as member of family of the other could not claim the benefit separately for his/her own parents or dependent minor brothers and sisters even if they were residing with him/her. On the other hand, where a couple, both being Govt. servants, are residing separately can claim the benefit of LTC individually for their dependent parents, minor brothers and sisters and also declare two separate places as their respective hometowns. Therefore, the husband and wife when both are Govt. employees and are staying together suffer from certain disadvantages inasmuch as they have to declare common hometown and only one of them can claim the benefit of LTC. The matter has been considered in consultation with Ministry of Finance (Department of Expenditure) and it has been decided that where husband and wife both are Govt. servants, they could, at their option, choose to declare separate hometown and both of them may claim the concession separately under the normal provisions of CCS (LTC) Rules in respect of the members of their respective families subject to the condition that if husband or wife avails the facility as a member of the family of the other, he or she will not be entitled for claiming the concession for self independently. Similarly, the children shall be eligible for the benefit in one particular block as members of the family of one of the parents only. All other conditions for admissibility of the LTC shall continue to be applicable as per normal provisions of the scheme.

The above decision will be applicable to the journeys performed for availing the LTC against the block years 1990-91 onwards.

(DOPT OM No. 31011/8/89-Est.(A), dated 8.5.1990)

(19) LTC facility for an escort accompanying single handicapped Government servant.

It has been decided that LTC facility could be allowed for an escort who accompanies a handicapped Govt. servant on the journey subject to the following conditions:-

(i) Prior approval of the Head of the Department concerned is obtained on each occasion.

(ii) The nature of physical disability of the Govt. servant is such as to necessitate an escort for the journey. In case of doubt, the decision of the Head of the Department will be final.

(3) The physically handicapped Govt. servant does not have an adult family member.

(4) The Govt. servant and the escort avail of the concession, if any, in the rail/bus fare as might be extended by Railways/State Roadways authorities in such cases.

(5) Any other person who is entitled to LTC does not accompany the handicapped Govt. servant on the journey.

(DOPT OM No. 31011/4/91-Estt. ( A) dated 9.7.91)

(20) LTC when an officer is deputed for training in India or abroad.

(i) In case the officer is deputed for training, the place of training automatically becomes the headquarters of the Govt. servant and such cases present no difficulty in deciding the admissibility of the LTC to the Govt. servant himself and the members of the family.

(ii) Normally, the headquarters of a Govt. servant deputed for training either in India or abroad continue to be at the place from where he proceeds for training unless under the provisions of SR 59, the competent authority changes his headquarters during the training period for the purpose of traveling allowances on tour. Where the competent authority changes his headquarters under SR 59 the new headquarters will have to be reckoned for the purpose of LTC also. If no change of headquarters is effected in respect of those who are deputed for training in India, the trainees are treated as on tour from their original headquarters and are sanctioned traveling allowance as on tour by the competent authority under SR 164. In such cases, if the Govt. servant proceeds on regular leave from the training station and wants to avail of the LTC, the concession should be allowed in respect of the Govt. servant himself for the journeys from the place of training to the hometown and back to the place of training or the headquarters on the expiry of the regular leave, as the case may be. So far as the members of his family are concerned, the starting point for the onward journey in such case will continue to be the headquarters of the Govt. servant concerned.

(iii) In respect of officers who are deputed abroad for training, the Government’s liability in respect of the Leave Travel Concession in respect of the Govt. servant himself will be limited to the liability the Govt. would have borne, if he had undertaken the journeys from the headquarters (from which he proceeded for training abroad) or the headquarters declared under SR 59 to the hometown and back. So far as members of his family are concerned, headquarters from which he proceeded on training will be treated as the starting point for the onward journey for the purpose of LTC.

(MHA OM No. 43/10/65-Estt. ( A) dated 7.8.65)

8. Types of leave travel concession.-

(a) The leave travel concession to hometown shall be admissible irrespective of the distance between the headquarters of the Government servant and his hometown, once in a block of two calendar years, such as 1986-87, 1988-89 and so on.

(b) the leave travel concession to any place in India shall be admissible irrespective of the distance of the place of visit from the headquarters of the Government servant, once in a block of four calendar years, such as 1986-89, 1990-93 and so on:

Provided that in the case of a Government servant to whom leave travel concession to hometown is admissible, the leave travel concession to any place in India availed of by him shall be in lieu of, and adjusted against, the leave travel concession to hometown available to him at the time of commencement of the journey;

(c) A Government servant whose family lives away from him at his hometown may, in lieu of all concessions under this scheme, including the leave travel concession to visit any place in India once in a block of four years which would otherwise be admissible to him and members of his family, choose to avail of leave travel concession for self only to visit the hometown every year.

9. Counting of leave travel concession against particular blocks.-

A Government servant and members of his family availing of leave travel concession may travel in different groups at different times during a block of two of four years, as the case may be. The concession so availed of will be counted against the block of two years or four years within which the outward journey commenced, even if the return journey was performed after the expiry of the block of two years or four years. This will apply to availing of leave travel concession carried forward in terms of Rule 10.

10. Carry over of leave travel concession.-

A 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. If a Government servant is entitled to leave travel concession to home town, he can carry forward the leave travel concession to any place in India for a block of four years only if he has carried forward the leave travel concession to home town in respect of the second block of two years within the block of four years.

Government of India’s Decision

CCS (LTC) Rules, 1988-Extension of the grace period of Home Town LTC block years 2002-2003.

It has been decided that the Government servants who were eligible for the home town leave travel concession for the block years 2002-2003 or leave travel concession to visit to any place in India for the block years 2002-2005 in lieu of home town block years 2002-2003 and who could not avail it within the grace period up to 31.12.2004, may be allowed to avail this facility up to 30^th June, 2005, in relaxation of the CCS (LTC) Rules, 1988.

11. Place to be visited by Government servant and members of his family under leave travel concession to any place in India.-

A Government servant and each member of his family may visit different places of their choice during a block of four years. It shall not be necessary for members of family of a Government servant to visit the same place as that visited by the Government servant himself at any time earlier during the same block.

12. Entitlement.- (1) For travel under the Scheme of Leave Travel Concession the entitlement shall be as under –

(A) Journey by Air/Rail:

Pay Range	Entitlement
Rs.18,400 and above.	Air Economy (Y) Class by National Carriers or AC First Class by train, at their option.
Rs.16,400 and above, but less than Rs.18,400	AC First Class.
Rs.Rs.8,000 and above, but less than Rs.16,400.	Second AC-2 tier Sleeper.
Rs.4,100 and above, but less than Rs.8,000.	First Class/AC 3-tier Sleeper/AC Chair Car.*
Below Rs.4,100.	Second Sleeper.

*All Govt. servants who are entitled to travel on LTC by First Class/AC 3-tier Sleeper/AC Chair Car may, at their discretion, travel by AC 2-tier Sleeper in cases where any of the trains connecting the originating and destination stations concerned by the direct shortest route do not provide these three classes of accommodation.

Travel by Rajdhani Express Trains:

Pay Range

Entitlement

Rs. 16,400 and above.

Rs.8,000 and above, but less than Rs.16,400.

Rs.4,100 and above, but less than Rs.8,000.

AC First Class.

Second AC 2-tier Sleeper.

Chair Car/AC 3-tier Sleeper.

Travel by Shatabdi Express Trains:

Pay Range

Entitlement

Rs. 16,400 and above.

Rs.4,100 and above, but less than Rs.16,400.

Executive Class.

AC Chair Car.

Note.- Entitlement by Rajdhani/Shatabdi Trains would be applicable in cases where journey is actually undertaken by these trains and not for determining entitlement on notional basis. Both ends of the journey, i.e., place of start of the journey and the destination should be directly connected by Rajdhani/Shatabdi Express.

(B) Journey by Sea or by River Steamer:

Pay Range	Entitlement
Rs.8,000 and above.	Highest Class.
Rs.6,500 and above, but less than Rs.8,000	If there are two classes only on the steamer, the lower class.
Rs.4,100 and above, but less than Rs.6,500.	If there are three classes, the middle or the second class. If there are four classes, the third class
Below Rs.4,100.	The lowest class.

Accommodation entitlements for travel between the mainland and the Andaman & Nicobar Group of Islands and the Lakshadweep Group of Islands by ships operated by the Shipping Corporation of India Limited will be as follows:-

Pay Range	Entitlement
Rs.8,000 and above.	Deluxe Class.
Rs.6,500 and above, but less than Rs.8,000	First/`A’ Cabin Class.
Rs.4,100 and above, but less than Rs.6,500.	Second/`B’ Cabin Class.
Below Rs.4,100.	Bunk class.

Pay Range	Entitlement
(i) Rs. 18,400 and above. ( ii ) Rs.8,000 and above but less than Rs.18,400.	Actual fare by any type of public bus, including air-conditioned Bus: OR At prescribed rates for AC Taxi/Taxi (AC Taxi when the journey is actually performed by AC Taxi) for journey to the places not connected by rail, subject to condition that the claim shall be restricted to the bus fare by entitled class or the fare actually paid, whichever is less. Same as at ( i ) above with the exception that journeys by AC Taxi will not be permissible.
(iii) Rs.6,500 and above, but less than Rs.8,000.	Same as at (ii ) above with the exception that journeys by AC Bus will not be permissible.
(iv) Rs.4,100 and above, but less than Rs.6,500.	Actual fare by any type of public bus other than air-conditioned Bus: OR At prescribed rates for Auto rickshaw for journey to places not connected by rail, subject to condition that the claim shall be restricted to the bus fare by entitled class or the fare actually paid, whichever is less.
(v) Below Rs.4,100.	As at (iv) above with the condition that the claim shall be restricted to the bus fare by ordinary bus.

NOTE.- In all cases of travel by AC Taxi, Taxi or Autorickshaw production of fare receipt will be necessary.

(2) Journey by road.-

(i) Where a public transport system as aforesaid does not exist, the assistance will be regulated as in case of journeys undertaken on transfer.

(ii) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-rule ( 1 ) or Clauses ( i ) and (ii ) of sub-rule (2), where a Govt. servant travelling by road takes a seat or seats in a bus, van or other vehicle operated by Tourism Development Corporations in the Public Sector, State Transport Corporations and Transport services run by other Government or local bodies to visit any place in India, the reimbursement shall be either the actual hire charges or the amount reimbursable on the journey to the declared place of visit had the journey been undertaken by entitled class by rail by the shortest direct route, whichever is less. Reimbursement shall not be admissible for journey by a private car (owned, borrowed or hired), or a bus, van or other vehicle owned by private operators.

(3) By Air.- The Govt. servant may travel by air between places not connected by rail, where an alternative means of travel is either not available or is more expensive.

(4) In regard to places in territory of India connected by shipping services, the entitlement of a Govt. servant to travel by ship will be regulated as in the case of journeys by ship undertaken on transfer.