New Government Orders on Booking of Air Tickets on LTC

New Government Orders on Booking of Air Tickets on LTC for Central Govt Employees

“Screenshot of the concerned webpage of the authorized travel Agents (ATAs) during the booking of air tickets”

The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has issued new guidelines for the booking of air tickets on Leave Travel Concession (LTC) for central government employees. The guidelines state that all three authorized travel agents must display the details of the flight with the cheapest fare and the flight(s) with a fare 10% higher than the cheapest fare at the time of booking. The booking of air tickets on the website of these authorized agents will be considered proof that the ticket was booked at the cheapest fare. The word ‘LTC’ must be indicated on tickets issued for LTC journeys. Non-entitled government employees traveling by air under the Special Dispensation Scheme must provide a printout of the webpage with flight and fare details for reimbursement.

F. No.31011/11/2023 – Pers. Policy A-IV
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions
Department of Personnel & Training
Pers. Policy A-IV Desk

North Block, New Delhi.
Dated: October, 2023

Office Memorandum

Subject: Modifications in instructions on booking of Air Tickets on Government Account in respect of Leave Travel Concession (LTC) – reg.

The undersigned is directed to refer to this Department’s OM No.31011/12/2022-Estt.A-IV dated 29.08.2022 regarding instructions on booking of Air Tickets in respect of Leave Travel Concession (LTC). The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has been receiving a number of representations seeking clarifications on issues relating to the settlement of claims, particularly of those government employees who have not retained the screenshot of the concerned webpage of the authorised travel Agents (ATAs) during the booking of air tickets, as provided under the OM dated 29.8.2022 referred to above.

2. In view of the above, the matter has been examined and with the approval of competent authority, the following changes/modifications in the prescribed procedure are made for the convenience of Government employees: –

(i) All three authorized travel agents, viz. M/s Balmer Lawrie & Company Limited (BLCL), M/s Ashok Travels & Tours (ATT), and Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd. (IRCTC) are to display the details of the flight having the cheapest fare and the flight(s) having the fare 10% more than the cheapest fare only, in the desired time slot, at the time of booking the air tickets by the Government employees for the purpose of LTC journey. Therefore, the booking of air ticket for the purpose of LTC on the website of these three authorized travel agents shall itself be a proof that the ticket booked by the individual government employee was of the cheapest fare as provided under the guidelines.

(ii) All three authorized agents shall indicate the word ‘LTC’ on tickets issued for the LTC journey; and

(iii) In all cases wherein the non-entitled Government employees are to travel by air under Special Dispensation Scheme directly from their Headquarters/place of posting to the place of visit in NER/J&K/A&N/Ladakh,the Government employees shall continue to take the print-out of the concerned webpage having flight and fare details of the flight for relevant railhead viz. Kolkata/ Guwahati/ Delhi/Amritsar/ Chennai/ Vishakhapatnam to the place of visit viz. NER or UT of J&K or UT of Ladakh or UT of A&N within the same time-slot where the direct flight has been booked for the purpose of reimbursement.

In case the flight tickets are not available in the same slot, the print out of the details of the flights available in the next slot may be retained for the purpose of settlement of claims, as provided under Point (ii) of the title

“Provisions for Reimbursement” in OM dated 29.8.2022, referred to above.

3. Further, all the three AlAs have also been directed to allow the registration of those employees who do not have official email accounts provided their administrative office sends their details depicting their names, employee code no., private email IDs and mobile numbers, etc. to the travel agents for the purpose of booking the air tickets in respect of LTC journey.

4. For the sake of convenience, the links of the three authorized travel agents are as below:

(i) ‘M/s Balmer Lawrie & Company Limited’, BLCL (https://govemp.balmerlawrietravelapp.com), (ii) ‘M/s Ashok Travels & Tours’, ‘ATT’ (https://www.attitdc.in) and (iii) Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd., ‘IRCTC’ (https://www.air.irctc.co.in).

5. All the Ministries/Departments are once again advised to bring it to the notice of all their employees that any misuse of LTC shall be viewed seriously and appropriate action as deemed fit under the relevant rules will be taken against the defaulting employees. 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 by 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.

6. Hindi version will follow.

sd/-
(Satish Kumar)
Under Secretary to the Government of India

View the Order in PDF Format

Suggested Links:

• New Government Orders on Booking of Air Tickets on LTC
• One-Time Relaxation for Reimbursement of Cancellation Charges for Air Tickets of LTC
• Relaxation to travel by air to visit NER, J&K and A&N Islands – DoPT Clarification Orders on 20.6.2019
• 7th Pay Commission Leave Travel Concession Travel Entitlement as per Pay Matrix
• Air India LTC Fare List December 2021 PDF Download
• LTC 80 Scheme: Air India Fare List November 2021 PDF
• Air India LTC 80 Fare Applicable Up to July 2022 PDF
• Air India LTC 80 Fare List February 2021
• Air and Train Ticket Cancellation Charges on LTC – Dopt Clarification
• LTC for visiting NER, J&K, Ladakh and A&N in lieu of a Home Town LTC