DoPT Advises Central Government Employees to Book LTC Air Tickets at Least 21 Days in Advance

The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has issued a fresh circular advising Central Government employees to plan their Leave Travel Concession (LTC) journeys well in advance by booking air tickets at least 21 days before the intended date of travel. The department has also reiterated that employees intending to avail LTC advance should submit their applications at least 30 days before the journey.

The advisory has been issued after the department observed a growing number of cases where employees booked flight tickets only a few days before travel, resulting in significantly higher airfare and increased expenditure for the Government.

DoPT Reiterates Existing LTC Booking Guidelines

The latest circular reminds employees of the consolidated instructions issued earlier regarding air travel under LTC. As per the existing guidelines, employees are encouraged to purchase flight tickets well in advance to obtain the most competitive fares and reduce the financial burden on the Government.

According to DoPT, advance booking is not only economical but also aligns with the objective of prudent utilization of public funds.

LTC Advance Applications Should Be Submitted 30 Days Before Travel

The department has also highlighted the provisions relating to LTC advance for employees entitled to travel by air.

Employees planning to avail LTC advance are expected to:

• Submit their LTC advance application at least 30 days before the intended journey.
• Attach a printout from the authorized travel agency showing the proposed flight details and applicable airfare.

Timely submission enables quicker processing of advance claims and ensures compliance with existing LTC rules.

Concern Over Last-Minute Flight Bookings

During scrutiny of LTC claims, DoPT found that many employees were booking flight tickets only a few days before their travel date, and in some cases during the same week of the journey.

Such last-minute bookings generally attract substantially higher airfares, leading to unnecessary expenditure. The department has stated that this practice is not in line with the spirit of the existing LTC instructions aimed at securing economical fares.

DoPT Calls for Strict Compliance

The circular advises all officers and officials to:

• Plan LTC travel sufficiently in advance.
• Book air tickets, as far as possible, at least 21 days before travel.
• Submit LTC advance applications 30 days before the intended journey, wherever applicable.

The department has directed all officers and officials to strictly comply with these existing instructions while planning future LTC journeys.

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