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

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

Shiva Gopal Mishra
Secretary

Ph: 23382286
National Council (Staff Side)
Joint Consultative Machinery
For central Government Employees
13-C, Ferozshah Road, New Delhi - 110 001
E Mail: nc.jcm.np@gmail.com

No.NC-JCM-2019/DOPT (LTC)

September , 2019

The Secretary
Government Of India
Department of Personnel and Training
North Block
New Delhi

Sub: Grant of one time relaxation to the Central Govt. Employees who have availed LTC-80 and traveled by air by purchasing ticket from authorities other than authorized agents

Also check: Updated list of All India LTC fare under LTC 80 Scheme for May 2019

Dear sir,
The above demand was discussed as Item No.15 of the standing committee meeting of the National Council (JCM) held on 7-3- 2019. The extract from the minutes of the above meeting is gives below for your kind ready reference.
Staff side proposed that

• if the employee has actually traveled in Air India flight, then the LTC-80 fare of the journey day may be paid to him irrespective of the fact that ticket was purchased from authorized agent or not. Any excess amount over and above the LTC- 80 fare can be recovered;
• No disciplinary action and stoppage of future LTC may be taken;
• A general instruction in this regard may be issued to all the Departments to regularize all the pending LTC-80 cases as above.

‘Chairman agreed to consider the demand of the staff side’.
Sir, as agreed in the meeting a general instruction as above has not yet been issued by the DOP&T. It is therefore requested that since the employees are subjected to undue hardship, necessary instructions in this regard may please be issued at the earliest.
Thanking you

Yours sincerely,
sd/-
(SHIVA GOPAL MISHRA)
Secretary

Also read: All India LTC Archives - CENTRAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES NEWS

Source: Confederation

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Guidelines on Air Travel on Official Tours - Purchase of air ticket from authorized agent

Guidelines on Air Travel on Official Tours - Purchase of air ticket from authorized agent

No. 19024/2212017-E.IV
Government of India
Ministry of Finance
Department of Expenditure

North Block, New Delhi
Dated the 19th July, 2017

Office Memorandum

Subject:  Guidelines on Air Travel on Official Tours - Purchase of air ticket from authorized agent.

The undersigned is directed to refer to this Departments' O.M. No. 19024/1/2005-E.IV dated 24.03.2006, O.M. No. 19024/1/2009-E.IV dated 16.09.2010 and O.M. No. 19024/1/2012-E.IV dated 09.07.2013 regarding guidelines on Air travel. As per these guidelines, in all cases of Air Travel where the Government of India bears the cost of air passage, Air Tickets may be purchased directly from Airlines (at Booking counters/office/website of Airlines) and if needed, by utilizing the services of 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).

This Department is receiving a large number of proposals from various Ministries/Departments seeking ex-post-facto relaxation of the prescribed procedure for purchase of air tickets from authorized travel agents only.

The matter has been reconsidered in this Department. All Ministries/Departments are again directed to:

(i) Ensure strict compliance of extant guidelines for purchase of air ticket directly from Airlines (at Booking counters/office/website of Airlines) or from three authorized Travel Agents viz. M/s Balmer Lawrie & Company Limited, M/s Ashok Travels & Tours and IRCTC only by all officials/offices under their control. Henceforth relaxation on account of ignorance/unawareness of these guidelines will not be considered by this Department.

(ii) In case of non-availability of authorized agent at a particular place, ticket may be booked from website of Airlines or web portal of Balmer Lawrie & Company Ltd., M/s Ashok Travels & Tours and IRCTC.

(iii) In respect of Non-officials of Committees/Boards/Panels, the concerned Ministry/ Department have to mention in the meeting notice that the Non-official Member has to purchase the ticket from authorized travel agent only otherwise his claim will not be settled by that Ministry/Department.

(iv) All Ministries/Departments of the Government of India, etc. have to widely circulate this O.M. in all offices including attached/subordinate offices/ autonomous bodies under their control with specific instructions to Heads of Departments concerned for strict compliance of these guidelines. Non-compliance of these guidelines by Ministries/Departments will be treated as lapse on the part of the concerned Ministry/Department.

(Nirmala Dev)
Deputy Secretary to the Government of India

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Guidelines on Air Travel on Official Tours - Purchase of air ticket from authorized agent

Clarification on Purchase of Air ticket - DoE Orders dt.27.2.2018

No.19024/22/2017-EIV
Government of India
Ministry of Finance
Department of Expenditure

North Block, New Delhi
Dated the 27th February, 2018

Office Memorandum

Subject: Guidelines on Air Travel on Official Tours - Purchase of air ticket from authorized agent.

The undersigned is directed to refer to this Departments' O.M No, 19024/22/2017-E.IV dated 19.07.2017 regarding guidelines on Air travel where the Govt. of India bears the cost of passage. As per this 0.M., Ministries/Departments were asked to ensure that these instructions are given adequate coverage and were to be circulated to all so that ‘lack of knowledge’ of the rules is not cited as an excuse. In spite of these instructions, a large number of cases for relaxation of air travel guidelines due to purchase of air ticket from unauthorized travel agents, are still being received in this Department.

2. The matter has been re-considered and it has been decided that all such cases of air travel where tickets have been purchased after issue of this Department's O.M. dated 19.07.2017, seeking relaxation of air travel guidelines pertaining to purchase of air ticket from authorized agent, should have the approval of Secretary of the Administrative Ministry before referring the same to Department of Expenditure.

This is issued with the approval of Secretary Expenditure.

sd/-
(Nirmala Dev)
Deputy Secretary to the Government of India

Source: www.doe.gov.in

Source: Finmin Orders

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Guidelines on Air Travel on Official Tours - Purchase of air ticket from authorized agent - DoE Orders

Guidelines on Air Travel on Official Tours - Purchase of air ticket from authorized agent - DoE Orders

No.19024/22/2017-E.IV
Government of India
Ministry of Finance
Department of Expenditure

North Block, New Delhi
Dated the 19th July, 2017

Office Memorandum

Subject: Guidelines on Air Travel on Official Tours - Purchase of air ticket from authorized agent.

The undersigned is directed to refer to this Departments’ OM. No.19024/1/2005-E.IV dated 24.03.2006, OM. No.19024/1/2009- E.IV dated 16.09.2010 and OM. No.19024/1/2012-E.IV dated 09.07.2013 regarding guidelines on Air travel. As per these guidelines, in all cases of Air Travel where the Government of India bears the cost of air passage, Air Tickets may be purchased directly from Airlines (at Booking counters/office/website of Airlines) and if needed, by utilizing the services of 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).

2. This Department is receiving a large number of proposals from various Ministries/Departments seeking ex-post-facto relaxation of the prescribed procedure for purchase of air tickets from authorized travel agents only.

3. The matter has been reconsidered in this Department. All Ministries/Departments are again directed to:

(i) Ensure strict compliance of extant guidelines for purchase of air ticket directly from Airlines (at Booking counters/office/Website of Airlines) or from three authorized Travel Agents viz. M/s Balmer Lawrie & Company Limited, M/s Ashok Travels & Tours and IRCTC only by all officials/offices under their control. Henceforth relaxation on account of ignorance/unawareness of these guidelines will not be considered by this Department.

ii) In case of non-availability of authorized agent at a particular place, ticket may be booked from website of Airlines or web portal of Balmer Lawrie & Company Ltd., M/s Ashok Travels & Tours and lRCTC.

iii) In respect of Non-officials of Committees/Boards/Panels, the concerned Ministry/Department have to mention in the meeting notice that the Non-official Member has to purchase the ticket from authorized travel agent only otherwise his claim will not be settled by that Ministry/Department.

iv) All Ministries/Departments of the Government of India, etc. have to widely circulate this OM. in all offices including attached/subordinate offices/ autonomous bodies under their control with specific instructions to Heads of Departments concerned for strict compliance of these guidelines. Non- compliance of these guidelines by Ministries/Departments will be treated as lapse on the part of the concerned Ministry/Department.

sd/-
(Nirmala Dev)
Deputy Secretary to the Government of India

Click to view the order
Authority: www.doe.gov.in

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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

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

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Air ticket at lowest price

Air ticket at lowest price

In view of reported irregularities and misuse of LTC, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), vide O.M. No. 31011/3/2013-Estt.(A-IV) dated 12.07.2016, has issued draft guidelines to be followed while booking the air tickets for stakeholders consultation. The guidelines will be finalized after considering all the inputs received from the stakeholders.

This was stated by the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh in a written reply to a question by Dr. C. Gopalakrishnan in the Lok Sabha today.

PIB

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