Friday, December 12, 2008

Leave Travel Allowance - Sixth Pay Commission

The sixth pay commission has recommended some modifications to the Leave Travel Allowance rules for the Government employees. These changes have been made effective from September 1, 2008. I've tried to put in most of the changes in this post.

Highlights:
  • Parents dependent on the Govt. employees are eligible for LTA irrespective of whether they are staying with Government employee or not.
  • Fresh employees can avail 3 home town travel and one to any place in India during the first two block of for years.
  • Travel entitlements for LTA will be same as that of official tour with no daily allowance.
The parents (stepmother and stepfather)who are wholly dependent on the Government employees shall be included in the definition of family for the purpose of LTA, irrespective of whether they are residing with the Government employee or not. The definition of dependency will be linked to the minimum family pension prescribed in Central Government and dearness relief thereon. The extant conditions in respect of other relations included in the family including married/divorced/abandoned/separated/widowed daughters shall continue without any change.

Types of LTA:

Fresh recruits to Central Government are allowed to travel to their home town along with their families on three occasions in a block of four years and to any place in India on the fourth occasion. This facility shall be available to the Government officers only for the first two blocks of four years applicable after joining the Government for the first time. The blocks of 4 years shall apply with reference to the initial date of joining the Government even though the employee changes the job within Government subsequently. The existing blocks will remain the same but the entitlements of the new recruit will be different in the first eight years of service. All other provisions concerning frequency of travel under LTA are retained.

Entitlement for LTA:

Travel entitlements, for the purpose of official tour/transfer or LTA, will be the same but no daily allowance shall be admissible for travel on LTA. Further, the facility shall be admissible only in respect of journeys performed in vehicles operated by the Government or any Corporation in the public sector run by the Central or State Government or a local body. Air Journey by Private Airlines will however, continue to be admissible as per Ministry of Finance O.M. No. 19024/1/E-IV/2005 dated the 24th March, 2006 and in terms of the orders of DOPT in this regard.

Encashment of earned leave along with LTA

Government officers are allowed to encash ten days earned leave at the time of availing of LTA to the extent of sixty days during the entire career. The leave encashed at the time of LTA will not be deducted from the maximum amount of earned leave encashable at the time of retirement. It is further clarified that where both husband and wife are Government servants, the present entitlement for availing LTA shall remain unchanged, and encashment of leave equal to 10 days at the time of availing of LTA will continue to be available to both, subject to a maximum of sixty days each during the career.

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