7th Pay Commission Latest News Today: Modi govt sweetens festive mood for Central Government Employees with this 'gift'; Details here

7th Pay Commission Latest News: In what has certainly sweetened moods of lakhs of Central Government Employees, who have been demanding pay hike beyond the 7th Pay Commission recommendations, ahead of the festival season, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government has extended LTC benefits for them. In an official order dated September 20, 2018, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) said, "...the scheme allowing government servants to travel by air to North East Region (NER), Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and Andaman & Nikobar Islands (A&N) is extended for a further period of two years, w.e.f. 26th September 2018 till 25th September 2020 as under:

1. "LTC for visiting NER, J&K and A&N in lieu of a Home Town LTC." 
2." Facility for air journey to non-entitled Government servants for NER, J&K and A&N." 
3. "Permission to undertake journey to J&K, NER and A&N by private airlines." 

The Union government had previously extended the LTC benefits for Central government employees in 2014. 

Screen shot of the DoPT order

What the 7th Pay originally recommended about LTC for Central government employees:

In the official report, the 7th Pay Commission had recommended to retain and rationalise the Leave Travel Allowance (LTC). The LTC facilitates Central Government employees' home travel as well as travel to different parts of the country. The pay panel had noted that demand for increase in the frequency of LTC, especially for "All India" visits and to foreign countries too. The 7th CPC had recommended the following:

- The Commission had said that the extension of LTC to foreign countries is not in the ambit of this Commission. 

- On splitting hometown LTC, the pay panel said, "The proposal to split hometown LTC has merit and can be considered. Hence, it is recommended that splitting of hometown LTC should be allowed in case of employees posted in North East, Ladakh and Island territories of Andaman, Nicobar and Lakshadweep. This will enable these employees and their families to meet more often." 

- For CAPF, Indian Coast Guard: "Presently, personnel of Defence forces serving in field/high altitude/CI Ops areas are granted one additional free railway warrant. This should be extended to all personnel of CAPFs and the Indian Coast Guard mutatis mutandis." 

- For SSB Personnel: "The facility of Additional LTC should be extended to SSB personnel, at par with other CAPFs." 

- For Railways staff: "Regarding bringing Railway employees (and employees whose spouses are Railway servants) into the fold of LTC, the following is recommended: 

a. No hometown LTC will be admissible to Railway employees, only “All India” LTC will be granted once in four years. 

b. For the grant of LTC, all passes for the current year will have to be surrendered. 

c. If the employee has already availed of a pass in any year, then LTC will not be allowed in that year. 

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d. If both spouses are Railway servants, then surrender of passes of any one of them will suffice. e. For the purposes of this allowance, year means Calendar year."