Air Travel on LTC to NER Extended up to September 2026
Air Travel on LTC to NER Extended: Leisure travel via air to the North East Region, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands is set to continue. In accordance with the CCS (LTC) Rules from 1988, the program that permits government employees to fly to these regions has been extended for an additional two years, starting from September 26, 2024, and concluding on September 25, 2026.
The aforementioned Special Dispensation Concession comes with certain stipulations:
i. Government employees who meet the eligibility criteria can utilize their Leave Travel Concession (LTC) to travel to any location within the Northeast Region (NER), Andaman and Nicobar Islands (A&N), Jammu & Kashmir (J&K), or Ladakh by converting one Home Town LTC during a four-year block.
ii. If a government employee’s Home Town coincides with their Headquarters or place of posting, they are ineligible to convert any Home Town LTC, as they do not qualify for this benefit.
iii. Employees whose Home Town is located in NER, A&N, J&K, or Ladakh can also convert their Home Town LTC to visit any destination within one of the other three specified regions, excluding their own Home Town area.
iv. New recruits are permitted to convert one of their three Home Town LTCs within a four-year period to travel to NER, A&N, J&K, or Ladakh. Furthermore, they may convert an additional Home Town LTC specifically for travel to the Union Territories of J&K or Ladakh during this four-year cycle.
v. Government employees who are entitled to air travel can use this concession departing from their Headquarters in their designated class with any airline, adhering to the guidelines set forth in the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) Office Memorandum No. 31011/12/2022-Estt.A-IV dated August 29, 2022, along with DoPT’s Office Memorandum No. 31011/11/2023 – Personal Policy A-IV dated October 20, 2023 (enclosed for reference).
vi. Employees not authorized for air travel may still fly in Economy class on any airline, provided they comply with the conditions specified in DoPT’s memorandum dated August 29, 2022, and DoPT’s memorandum No. 31011/11/2023 – Personal Policy A-IV dated October 20, 2023. This applies to the following routes:
a. Between Kolkata/Guwahati and any destination within NER.
b. Between Kolkata/Chennai/Visakhapatnam and Port Blair.
c. Between Delhi/Amritsar and any location within J&K or Ladakh.
For these non-entitled staff members, travel from their Headquarters to Kolkata/Guwahati/Chennai/Visakhapatnam/Delhi/Amritsar should be conducted according to their entitlement.
vii. Air travel for government employees to NER, J&K, Ladakh, and A&N as outlined in points (v) and (vi) is permissible whether they opt for the concession against Anywhere in India LTC or in place of Home Town LTC, as allowed.