LTC Block Year for Central Government Employees
Current LTC Block Year is 2022-2025
Home Town LTC
The Leave Travel Concession to home town shall be admissible irrespective of the distance between the headquarters of the Government servant and his home town, once in a block of two calendar years. Current two year block is 2022-2023 and 2024-2025.
Anywhere in India LTC
The Leave Travel Concession to any place in India shall be admissible irrespective of the distance of the place of visit from the headquarters of the Government servant, once in a block of four calendar years. Current four year block is 2022-2025.
A Government servant whose family lives away from him at his home town may, in lieu of all concessions under this scheme, including the Leave Travel Concession to visit any place in India once in a block of four years which would otherwise be admissible to him and members of his family, choose to avail of Leave Travel Concession for self only to visit the home town every year.
LTC Block Year 20222-2025 Table
| Year | Two Year Block | Four Year Block | Option-I | Option-2 | Option-3 |
| 2022 | Block-1 (2022-23) | 2022-2025 | Hometown | Anywhere in India / Hometown | Hometown |
| 2023 | Hometown | ||||
| 2024 | Block-2 (2024-25) | Anywhere in India | Hometown | Hometown | |
| 2025 | Hometown |
READ ALSO: LTC Air Fare for Children Below the Age of 5 years
LTC Rules to New Recruits Central Govt Employees
- New recruits are not availing LTC due to lack of awareness of LTC rules for first 8 years after appointment in Central Government Service.
- Fresh recruits to the 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 fresh recruits only for the first two blocks of four years applicable after joining the Government for the first time.
How to compute the first 8 years of their LTC entitlement ?
The DoPT has provided 4 illustrations in its clarification OM dated 26-9-2014 . The illustrations are reproduced below.
READ ALSO: Grant of 4 Times LTC Scheme Eligible for Fresh Recruits of Central Government servants – DOPT
Illustrations 1
An employee joins the Government service on 1st September, 2008. As per the CCS (LTC) Rules, he will become eligible for LTC with effect from 1st September, 2009 (i.e. after the completion of one year of regular service). His entitlement for Home Town / All India would be as under:
Explanation
1.After the completion of the first eight years, when the fresh recruit gets into the middle of the running regular block of four calendar years (ex. 2014-2017) where the new LTC cycle of fresh recruit coincides with the second year of the running two year block (ex. 2017 of 2016-2017), he will not be eligible for LTC in that year (i.e. 2017).
2.It can be seen from above that LTC entitlement for a fresh recruit is calculated calendar year wise with effect from the date of completion of one year of regular service.
Illustration 2:
An employee joins the Government service on 1st January, 2009. As per the CCS (LTC) Rules, he will become eligible for LTC with effect from 1st January, 2010 (i.e. after the completion of one year of regular service). His entitlement for Home Town / All India LTC would be as under:
Explanations:
1.A the end of the eighth year of LTC, when the new LTC cycle of a fresh recruit coincides with the beginning of a regular four year block, his entitlement in the regular block will be exercised as per the usual LTC Rules. Explanations.
Illustration 3:
An employee joins the Government service on 31st December, 2011. As per the CCS (LTC) Rules, he will become eligible for LTC with effect from 31st December, 2012 (i.e. after completion of one year of regular service). His entitlement for Home Town / All India LTC would be as under:
Explanations:
i. A fresh recruit who joins on 31st December of any year, will be eligible for LTC w.e.f. 31st December of next year. Since, 31st December is the last date of that calendar year, his first occasion of LTC ends with that year. Hence, he may avail his first home town LTC on that day only (eg. 31st December, 2012). From next year onwards he will be eligible for the remaining seven LTCs.
ii. After the completion of eight years of service, when the next LTC cycle of fresh recruit coincides with the beginning of the second two year block (eg. 2020-21) of the running four year block (2018-21), he will be eligible only for the ‘Home Town’ LTC in that block if he has availed of ‘Any Place in India’ LTC in the eighth year. In case, the fresh recruit forgoes his eighth year LTC, then he has a choice to avail either ‘Any Place in India’ or ‘Home Town’ LTC in the following two year block (i.e. in 2020-21).
Illustration 4:
An employee joins the Government service on 10thMay, 2006. As per the CCS (LTC) Rules, he will become eligible for LTC with effect from 10th May, 2007 (i.e. after the completion of one year of regular service). His entitlement for Home Town / All India LTC would be as under:
Year of LTC Type of LTC LTC Occasion
10.05.2006 — 09.05.2007 Nil —
10.05.2007 — 31.12.2007 Home Town/ Any Place in India 1st
01.01.2008 — 31.12.2008 Home Town 2’d
01.01.2009 — 31.12.2009 Home Town 3rd
01.01.2010 — 31.12.2010 Any Place in India 4th
01.01.2011 — 31.12.2011 Home Town 5th
01.01.2012 — 31.12.2012 Home Town 6th
01.01.2013 — 31.12.2013 Home Town 7iii
01.01.2014 — 31.12.2014 Any Place in India 8th
01.01.2015 — 31.12.2015 Nil —
01.01.2016 — 31.12.2017 Home Town
Explanation:
A fresh recruit who has joined the Government service before 01.09.2008 (i.e before the introduction of this scheme) and has not completed his first eight years of service as on 01.09.2008 will be eligible for this concession for the remaining time-period till the completion of first eight years of his/ her service.
FAQ on LTC For Fresh Central Govt Employees
Important FAQ on LTC Block Year 2022-2025
Q1. When does the current LTC Block Year start ?
Ans: The current LTC Block Year starts from this year 2022
Q2. What is current block year of LTC ?
Ans: The current LTC Block Year is 2022-2025
Q3. What are the two blocks in LTC Block of four years?
Ans: The first LTC block is 2022-2023 and Second Block is 2024-2025 in the current LTC Block Year 2022-2025
Q4. In Which Block can we avail Home Town LTC and All India Selected Place LTC?
Ans: During these LTC Block years, a Government servant can avail two concessions as follows:
1.Both of them to Home Town, or
2.First Block to Home town and Second Block to any where India, or
3.First block to any where India and second block to Home town
Q5. What is carry forward year LTC ?
Ans: A Government servant who is unable to avail of the leave travel concession within a particular block of two years or four years may avail of the same within the first year of the next block of two years or four years.
Q6. Can we avail the carry forward LTC in 2022?
Ans: Yes. If the entitled LTC for block year 2020-2021 was not availed, Now it can be availed in the year 2022 subject to the provisions in LTC rules.
Q7. Can New Recruits avail LTC in this new block years ?
Ans: Read this clarification to know the LTC entitlement for New Recruits for first 8 Years. After completion of 8 Year LTC period, this new block of LTC will be applicable for them. Refer the illustrations given in this Clarification for LTC entitlement for New Recruits in First 8 Years.
Source: IPROA
LEAVE TRAVEL CONCESSION (LTC) DETAILED GUIDELINES
ADMISIBILITY
An employee with one year of continuous service on the date of journey performed by him/his family is eligible for leave travel concession. Hence after one year of service only eligible for LTC.
Note: Period of unauthorized absence, declared under FR-17A, will be treated as break in service for calculating the continuous period of service unless the same is condoned by the competent authority.
SCOPE: The leave travel concession will cover the Government servant himself and his dependent family members.
Family means:-
i) The Government servant’s wife or husband, as the case may be, and two surviving unmarried children or stepchildren wholly dependent on the Government servant, irrespective of whether they are residing with the Government servant or not;
ii) Married daughters who have been divorced, abandoned or separated from their husbands and widowed daughters and are residing with the Government servant and are wholly dependent on the Government servant;
iii) Parents and/or stepmother and stepfather wholly dependent on the Government servant irrespective of whether they are residing with Government Servant or not;
iv) Unmarried minor brothers as well as unmarried, divorced, abandoned, separated from their husbands or widowed sisters residing with and wholly dependent on the Government servant, provided their parents are either not alive or are themselves wholly dependent on the Government servant.
EXPLANATIONS:
1. The restriction of the concession to only two surviving children or stepchildren shall not be applicable in respect of (i) those employees who already have more than two children prior to the coming into force of this restriction, i.e, 20.10.1997; (ii) children born within one year of the coming into force of this restrict; (iii) where the number of children exceeds two as a result of second child birth resulting in multiple births.
2. Not more than one wife is included in the term “Family” for the purpose of these Rules. However, if a Government servant has two legally wedded wives and the second marriage is with the specific permission of the Government, the second wife shall also be included in the definition of “Family”.
3. Though it is not necessary for the spouse and children to reside with the Government servant so as to be eligible for the Leave Travel Concession, the concession in their cases shall, however, be restricted to the actual distance travelled or the distance between the headquarters/ place of posting of the Government servant and the home town/ place of visit, whichever is less.
4. Children of divorced, abandoned, separated from their husbands or widowed sisters are not included in the term “Family”.
5. A member of the family whose income from all sources, including pension, temporary increase in pension but excluding dearness relief on pension or stipend, etc. does not exceed Rs.9,000*/- p.m. is deemed to be wholly dependent on the Government servant.
6. The “Dependency” conditions does NOT apply to the Government servant’s spouse.
7. In case both husband wife is employed, declaration to the effect that the spouse is not availing LTC from his/her office is mandatory.
8. Dependent family members includes wife/husband two surviving unmarried children or step children wholly dependent on the government servant and parents unmarried minor brothers as well as unmarried divorced abandoned or widowed sisters residing and dependent on the government servant.
TYPE OF LEAVE TRAVEL CONCESSION
Home Town LTC
The Leave Travel Concession to home town shall be admissible irrespective of the distance between the headquarters of the Government servant and his home town, once in a block of two calendar years. Current two year block is 2022-2023 and 2024-2025.
Anywhere in India
The Leave Travel Concession to any place in India shall be admissible irrespective of the distance of the place of visit from the headquarters of the Government servant, once in a block of four calendar years. Current four year block is 2022-2025.
A Government servant whose family lives away from him at his home town may, in lieu of all concessions under this scheme, including the Leave Travel Concession to visit any place in India once in a block of four years which would otherwise be admissible to him and members of his family, choose to avail of Leave Travel Concession for self only to visit the home town every year.
The above LTC may be availed as follows
| Year | Two Year Block | Four Year Block | Option-I | Option-2 | Option-3 |
| 2022 | Block-1 (2022-23) | 2022-2025 | Hometown | Anywhere in India / Hometown | Hometown |
| 2023 | Hometown | ||||
| 2024 | Block-2 (2024-25) | Anywhere in India | Hometown | Hometown | |
| 2025 | Hometown |
Entitlement of LTC to Fresh Recruits:
The “Fresh Recruits” may be allowed to travel to their Hometown along with their families on three occasions in a block of four years and to any place in India on the fourth occasion [DoPT O.M. No. 31011/4/2008-Estt.(A) dated 23rd September 2008]. This facility shall be available to the fresh recruits only for the first two blocks of four years applicable after joining the Government for the first time.
The first two blocks of four years shall apply with reference to the initial date of joining the Government service even though the Govt. servant may change the job within the Government subsequently. However, as per Rule 7 of CCS (LTC) Rules, 1988, the LTC entitlement of a fresh recruit will be calculated calendar year wise with effect from the date of completion of one year of regular service.
The first two blocks of four years of fresh recruits will be personal to them. On completion of eight years of LTC, they will be treated at par with other regular LTC beneficiaries as per the prescribed blocks like 2014-17, 2018-21 etc.
Grace Period:
LTC of either type not availed till the end of the particular two year block period, it can be availed during the succeeding year. For example: any hometown or any place in India LTC against the block period 2018-19 can be availed during the grace period of one year i.e. Dec – 2020, in such case onward journey can be started even on 31st December 2020 and returned journey being performed in 2021.
Two LTC in a calendar year is permissible. If the Hometown LTC of the period 2018-19 is availed in grace period in 2020, in the same year, Any Place in India LTC or Hometown LTC of the two year block of 2020-21 can be availed.
There is no compulsion to avail LTC due for the earlier block should be availed first before availing the LTC of current block. Therefore, in the above example, first we can avail LTC of block period 2018-19 and then LTC of block period 2020-21 at any time before the end of December 2016.
No grace period is provided in case of entitlement of LTC as fresh recruits. Hence carryover of LTC to the next year is not allowed in case of a fresh recruit as he is already entitled to every year LTC. Hence, if a fresh recruit does not avail of the LTC facility in any year, his LTC will deem to have lapsed with the end of that year.
Hometown/Any Place in India:
Hometown means the town, village or any other place declared as such by the Government servant in the prescribed form and accepted by the controlling officer. The necessary details may be entered in the service book.
Change of Hometown:
The hometown once declared and accepted by the controlling officer shall be treated as final. In exceptional circumstances, the Head of the Department or, if the Government servant himself is the Head of the Department, the Administrative Ministry, may authorize a change in such declaration provided that, such a change shall not be made more than once during the service of a Government servant.
The criteria mentioned below may, therefore, be applied one after the other to determine whether the servant’s declaration may be accepted-
i) Whether the place declared by Government servant is the one which requires his physical presence at interval and the Government servant visiting that place frequently.
ii) Whether the Government servant owns residential property in that place or whetherhe is a member of a joint family having such property there.
iii) Whether his near relations are resident in that place.
iv) Whether prior to his entry into Government service, the Government servant hadbeen living there for some years.
Declaration of place of visit under leave travel concession to any place in India:
i) Visit to the declared hometown or declared place in any place in India LTC isessential without this LTC claim will not be considered.
ii) When the concession to visit any place in India is proposed to be availed of by aGovernment servant or any member of the family of such Government servant, the intended place of visit shall be declared by the Government servant in advance to his controlling officer.
iii) The declared place of visit may be changed before the commencement of the journey with the approval of his controlling officer, but it may not be changed after the commencement of the journey except in exceptional circumstances where it is established that the request for change could not be made before the commencement of the journey owing to circumstances beyond the control of the Government servant.
Counting of Leave Travel Concession against particular blocks:
A Government servant and members of his family availing of Leave Travel Concession may travel in different groups at different times during a block of two or four years, as the case may be. The concession so availed of will be counted against the block of two years or four years within which the outward journey commenced, even if the return journey was performed after the expiry of the block of two years or four years. This will apply to availing of Leave Travel Concession carried forward in terms of Rule 10.
Place to be visited by Government servant and members of his family under leave travel concession to any place in India:
A Government servant and each member of his family may visit different places of their choice during a block of four years. It shall not be necessary for members of family of a Government servant to visit the same place as that visited by the Government servant himself at any time earlier during the same block.
Prior Intimation Necessary:
Before availing Leave Travel Concession for himself or any family member/s, prior intimation to the controlling Officer is necessary.
Admissibility under various Circumstances:
(1) During Leave/Vacation: The Leave Travel Concession is admissible during any period of leave, including casual leave and special casual leave. But is not admissible if the journey is performed during holidays only hence at least one day leave is required to avail LTC. Journey during vacation is allowed. LTC during ‘Leave Preparatory for Retirement (LPR)’ is permitted subject to journey is completed before retirement. LTC during Child Care Leave is not permitted.
(2) Suspension: A Govt. servant under suspension cannot avail of LTC as he cannot get any leave including casual leave during the period of suspension. As he continues to be in service during the period of suspension, members of his family are entitled to LTC.
Special Dispensation Scheme under LTC:
In relaxation to CCS (LTC) Rules, 1988, the Government has permitted to Government servants to travel by air to North East Region (NER), Jammu and Kashmir and Andaman & Nicobar Islands (A&N) for a further period of two years till 25th September, 2024, as per the following scheme –
(i) All eligible Government servants may avail LTC to visit any place in NER/ A&N/J&K against the conversion of one block of their Home Town LTC. Fresh Recruits are also eligible for this benefit against conversion of one of the three Home Towns in a block of four years applicable to them.
(ii) Government servants entitled to travel by air can avail this LTC from their Headquarters in Economy class.
(iii) Government servants not entitled to travel by air are allowed to travel by air in Economy class by any airlines subject to the terms and conditions as enumerated in DoPT’s OM dated 29.08.2022 in the following sectors:-
(a) Between Kolkata/Guwahati and any place in NER.
(b) Between Kolkata/Chennai/Visakhapatnam and Port Blair.
(c) Between Delhi/Amritsar and any place in J&K/Ladakh.
Journey for these non-entitled employees from their Headquarters upto Kolkata/ Guwahati/Chennai /Visakhapatnam/Delhi/ Amritsar shall be undertaken as per their entitlement.
(iv) Air travel by Government employees to NER, J&K, Ladakh and A&N as mentioned in para (iii) above is allowed whether they avail the concession against Anywhere in India LTC or in lieu of the Home Town LTC, as permitted.
(v) Government servants not entitled to travel by air are also allowed to travel by air in Economy class by any airlines to any place in NER/ A&N / J&K/ Ladakh from their Headquarters directly, however, the reimbursement will be subject to the conditions as enumerated in DoPT’s OM No. 31011/ 12/2022- Estt.A-IV dated 29.08.2022.
(vi) The instructions regarding booking of air tickets through authorized travel agents, best available fares, slots, booking time, advances, reimbursement, etc., as mentioned in DoPT’s OM No. 31011/12/2022-Estt.A-IV dated 29.08.2022 will also be applicable for this Special Dispensation Scheme.
Grant of Advance and adjustment thereof:
(i) Advance may be granted to Government servants to enable them to avail themselves of the concession. The amount of such advance in each case shall be limited to 90 % of the estimated amount which Government would have to reimburse in respect of the cost of the journey both ways. In all the cases, where an advance is drawn for the purpose of availing LTC, it will be mandatory for the Government servant to produce the outward journey tickets to the Competent Authority within ten days of drawal of advance.
(ii) In terms of Rules 14 and 15(vi) of LTC Rules, the time limit for submission of LTC claim is:
(a) Within one month of completion of return journey, if advance is drawn.
(b) Within three months of completion of return journey, if no advance is drawn;
In case of (a) above if the claim is not submitted within one month of the due date, the amount of advance shall be recovered in one lumpsum. No request for recovery of the advance in instalments shall be entertained. However, the Government employee shall be allowed to submit the claim as under (b) above. In case of failure to submit the claim in both the cases within the prescribed time lines, the claim shall stand forfeited.
Travel by private vehicles:
As per LTC rules, a Government servant may travel only by vehicles operated by Central/State Government or local bodies or by any corporation in the public sector owned/controlled by Central/State Government. Journey on LTC by taxi, auto-rickshaw etc. are permissible only between places not connected by rail. This is further subject to the condition that these modes operate on a regular basis from point to point with the specific approval of the State Governments/transport authorities concerned and are authorized to ply as public carriers.
Encashment of Earned Leave along with LTC:
An employee can avail leave encashment during LTC for a maximum of 10 days and a total of60 days in their career. However, to avail leave encashment, after availing leave encashment, the leave balance should be a minimum of 30 days. The leave encashment is payable on Basic Pay + Dearness Allowance as on date of commencement of LTC.
Travel Entitlement for LTC
|
Pay Level in Pay Matrix | Travel entitlement | ||
| Air | Rail |
Road | |
| (i) 14 and above | Business / Club
Class | Executive/ AC-I Class | AC Taxi / Ordinary Taxi / Autorickshaw / Own Car, Scooter / Motorcycle / Moped / Any Public Bus including AC Bus |
| (ii) 12, 13 and 13-A | Economy Class | -Do – | Same as (i) above, except AC Taxi |
| (iii) 9 to 11 | Economy Class | AC 2nd Class / Chair Car | -Do – |
| (iv) 6 to 8 | — | -Do – | -Do – |
| (v) 4 and 5 | -— | AC 3rd Class / Chair Car | Autorickshaw / Own Scooter / Motorcycle / Moped / Any Public Bus except AC Bus |
| (vi) 3 and below | -— | AC 3rd Class / Chair Car | Autorickshaw / Own Scooter / Motorcycle / Moped/ Ordinary Public Bus |
Further, the following conditions may also be noted:
i. No daily allowance shall be admissible for travel on LTC.
ii. Any incidental expenses and the expenditure incurred on local journeys shall not be admissible.
iii. Reimbursement for the purpose of LTC shall be admissible 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.
iv. In case of journey between the places not connected by any public/Government means of transport, the Government servant shall be allowed reimbursement as per his entitlement for journey on transfer for a maximum limit of 100 Kms covered by the private/personal transport based on a self-certification from the Government servant. Beyond this, the expenditure shall be borne by the Government servant.
Fraudulent claim of Leave Travel Concession:
(1) If a decision is taken by the disciplinary Authority to initiate disciplinary proceedings against a Government servant on the charge of preferring a fraudulent claim of Leave Travel Concession, such Government servant shall not be allowed the Leave Travel Concession till the finalization of such disciplinary proceedings.
(2) If the disciplinary proceedings result in imposition of any of the penalties specified in Rule 11 of the Central Civil Services (Classification, control and Appeal) Rules, 1965, the Government servant shall not be allowed the next two sets of the Leave Travel Concession in addition to the sets already withheld during the pendency of the disciplinary proceedings. For reasons to be recorded in writing, the Controlling Authority can also disallow more than two sets of Leave Travel Concession.
(3) If the Government servant is fully exonerated of the charge of fraudulent claim of Leave Travel Concession, he shall be allowed to avail of the concession withheld earlier as additional set(s) in future block years but before the normal date of his superannuation.
Interpretation: This is a very brief summary of LTC Rules and Regulations prepared keeping in mind the FAQ by staff members. The complete rules and regulation can be obtained from website of Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India.