Purchasing of LTC Air Ticket from other than authorized agents issue – NC JCM Staff Side

Grant of one time relaxation to the Central Government Employees who have availed LTC-80 and travelled by air by purchasing Ticket from other than authorized agents

Shiva Gopal Mishra
Secretary

Ph: 23382286
National Council (Staff Side)
Joint Consultations Mechinery
For Central Government Employees
13-C, Ferozshah Road, New Delhi – 110001
E-mail :nc.jcm.np@gmail.com

No.NC-JCM-2017/

The Secretary,
Government of India,
Department of Personnel & Training,
North Block,
New Delhi

February 9, 2017

Sub:- Grant of one time relaxation to the Central Government Employees who have availed LTC-80 and travelled by air by purchasing Ticket from other than authorized agents.

Ref:- Decision taken in the New Agenda No.III of the Standing Committee meeting of the National Council (JCM) held on 25.10.2016

Dear Sir,
In the Standing Committee meeting of the National Council (JCM) held under your chairmanship on 25.10.2016 the Staff Side informed that many non entitled Central government Employees had availed themselves the benefit of LTC-80 and purchased ticket from unauthorized agents, unaware of the rule position. Subsequently audit had returned the LTC final claims without sanctioning them and advised the administrative divisions of the Ministries concerned to recover the entire LTC advance from their salary. The staff Side also informed that Ministry of Defence, with the approval of Hon’ble Defence Minister had forwarded a proposal the DOPT seeking one time relaxation in such cases. The Secretary (P) informed in the meeting that the entire issue is under consideration of the DOPT.

To our shock and surprise the Ministry of Defence vide their ID Note dated 3.2.2017 has issue a letter to the lower formations (copy enclosed) stating that the DOPT has not agreed for granting bulk relaxation to thousands of Group B and Group C Defence Civilian Employees. Further DOPT has advised Ministry of Defence that the proposal for granting relaxation for booking of tickets through private travel agents may be scrutinized individually and has given certain guidelines which is practically difficult to adopt at this stage, since many such employees are due to retire from service shortly. It will be difficult for the administration to cross verify all those claims since the number of affected employees are more than 5000. In this situation we suggest the following for your kind consideration.

“In the case of those employees who have purchase air tickets from other than authorized agents and have actually travelled and submitted the tickets along with boarding pass, in such cases the administration may find out the actual LTC-80 fare from the concerned Airlines on that particular date when the concerned employee actually traveled and the claim may be restricted to the same and the balance amount if any calimed the same may be recovered from the concerned employee”.

The above proposal if accepted will reduce lot of administrative work and also will relieve the concerned employees from financial and mental hardship, thereby setting and outstanding issue once for all. In case of any further clarification required the Staff Side may please be invited for a discussion on the subject. Awaiting for your favorable response please.

Yours faithfully,
(Shiva Gopal Mishra)
Secretary

Source: Confederation