Government Employees Must Book LTC Air Tickets 21 Days in Advance

The Office of the Director General of Audit (Central), Chennai, has issued Circular No. 20, emphasizing the importance of booking air tickets under the Leave Travel Concession (LTC) scheme at least 21 days prior to travel. The circular, dated January 9, 2025, refers to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) Office Memorandum No. 31011/12/2022-Estt(A-IV), dated August 29, 2022, which outlines key guidelines for government employees availing LTC benefits.

Key Highlights of the Circular:

1. Advance Booking Requirement

Government employees are encouraged to book air tickets at least 21 days in advance to secure the most competitive fares and minimize the financial burden on the exchequer. The circular observes that many employees have not been following this requirement and urges strict compliance to avoid additional costs.

Employees failing to comply with the advance booking guidelines must provide valid reasons or justifications for their delay in ticket purchases.

2. Authorized Travel Agents for LTC Tickets

To ensure transparency and avoid unauthorized bookings, government employees must book their air tickets exclusively through the following three authorized travel agents (ATAs):

M/s Balmer Lawrie & Company Limited (BLCL)
M/s Ashok Travels & Tours (ATT)
Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd (IRCTC)

Employees must choose the best available fare within their entitled travel class, opting for the cheapest fare available, preferably for non-stop flights. Additionally, employees are required to retain a printout of the concerned webpage displaying flight and fare details to facilitate the settlement of LTC claims.

3. Submission of LTC Applications

The circular also highlights that employees often submit LTC applications close to the date of travel, leading to processing delays. Employees are now advised to submit LTC Advance and Earned Leave (EL) Encashment applications at least 10 days before their onward journey to ensure timely approvals.

4. Compliance Measures

The circular strictly advises employees to adhere to the guidelines and warns against last-minute bookings that could lead to increased travel expenses. Compliance with the 21-day advance booking rule is mandatory, and any deviations must be supported by legitimate reasons.

LTC Block Period 2022-2025

The LTC scheme allows government employees to avail of concessional travel to their hometown or any place in India within a four-year block period. The current LTC block is 2022-2025, further divided into two-year sub-blocks:

2022-2023
2024-2025

Employees have the option to avail of Hometown LTC twice or visit their hometown once and any other location in India in another two-year block.

The circular, approved by the Director of Administration, has been digitally signed by Senior Audit Officer (Claims), Ramesh M S, reinforcing the importance of compliance with LTC booking rules.

For further details, employees are advised to refer to the official circular issued by the Audit Department.