7th pay commission: The end of financial year 2017-18 brought a good news for lakhs of Railways employees, as the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), citing Seventh Pay Commission recommendation, said that they can now avail Leave Travel Concession (LTC). The Ministry said, "The matter has been considered in this department in consultation with Ministry of Railways. It has been decided that Railway employees may be allowed to avail all-India LTC once in a block of four years." However, it added, "The 'All-India LTC' will be purely optional for Tailway employees". According to a circular issued by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on March 27, the ministry said as per existing LTC instructions, government servants and their spouses, working in Indian Railways, are not entitled for the facility of LTC as the facility of "Free Pass" is available to them. However, 7th Pay Commission recommended that they be included in the LTC fold.
 
The Ministry said that Railways employees, however, shall continue to be governed by the Railway Servants (Pass) Rules and availing of the "All India LTC" under the CCS (LTC) Rules by them will be facilitated through a special order under the relevant provision of the said Pass Rules. The DoPT order reportedly stated that railway employees will not be eligible for "Home Town LTC" and will have to surrender the Privilege Passes (concessional or free tickets) admissible to them in the calendar year in which they intend to avail the LTC facility. Further, the order said the Railway employees would continue to be eligible for other kinds of passes such as the duty pass, school pass and special passes on medical grounds, as admissible under the pass rules.
 
It also clarified that if a Railways employee has already availed of a Privilege Pass, then LTC will not be allowed in that year. Further, the Indian Railways employees on deputation to any other organisation, including railway PSUs, would also continue to be eligible for optional LTC in lieu of Privilege Pass entitlement, the order added.