Central govt employees can soon go abroad on LTC
Central government employees may soon be able to go abroad on Leave Travel Concession (LTC), top officials said today. A proposal in the same regard has been finalized by the Personnel Ministry, which has now asked for comments from other departments concerned such as Home, Tourism, Civil Aviation, and Expenditure "at the earliest possible" time, the officials added. Here's more.
Scheme proposes to include these five central Asian countries
The plan, which has been mooted by the External Affairs Ministry, proposes to include Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan under the LTC scheme, the top officials said, citing a communique in this regard. The move to allow central government employees to visit these countries is aimed at increasing India's footprint in the strategically important Central Asian region, they said.
Event 5
In March, the government said it has shelved a proposal to allow LTC to its employees to visit SAARC countries. The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is a group of eight nations comprising Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
LTC scheme for SAARC countries not feasible: Jitendra Singh
"Proposal of LTC facility to government employees to SAARC countries with a purpose to enhance people to people contact and boost relations in the SAARC region was examined by the government and after thorough examination of all aspects involved," Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh said in March. "The proposal was found not feasible... (govt) decided not to take it forward," he added.
LTC grants leave and ticket reimbursement
The LTC allows a grant of leave and ticket reimbursement to eligible central government employees. There are about 48.41 lakh central government employees, according to the latest data.
