No need to buy ticket through govt-authorized travel agents for LTC if the employee claims rail fare: Govt

THE government through an office memorandum has clarified that the government servants who are not entitled to travel by air for the LTC purpose but do travel by air and claim the  entitled rail fare, it won’t be mandatory for them to book the air tickets through the authorized travel agents viz. Balmer Lawrie and Company, Ashok Travels and Tours and the  IRCTC, an office memorandum dated August 21, 2017 said. But for those who are…

entitled to travel by air will, however, continue to be required to book the air tickets either directly from the airlines (booking counters, website of airlines) or by utilizing the services of one of the three authorized travel agents mentioned above. In fact, the rail PSU IRCTC was added later through a DoPT office memorandum dated December 2, 2009. 

“…references are received in this Department seeking clarification whether the aforesaid condition of booking the tickets through authorized travel agents needs to be followed in cases where a non-entitled Government servant travels by air on LTC and claims the entitled train fare”, the OM mentioned.

The matter was then examined in consultation with the department of expenditure under the ministry of finance whereby it was decided that such rules won’t be forced upon those who claim the rail fares after traveling by air.