Holiday in Valley, we’ll pay your airfare: Centre to its staff

In a bid to promote domestic tourism in the Kashmir Valley, the Centre will now reimburse the airfare for all Group A and Group B employees ...

In a bid to promote domestic tourism in the Kashmir Valley, the Centre will now reimburse the airfare for all Group A and Group B employees who utilise their Leave Travel Concession (LTC) to visit Srinagar.

In a June 16 order, the Government has stated that it will bear the airfare between New Delhi and Srinagar for all gazetted and non-gazetted employees availing all-India LTC. This privilege was earlier restricted to officials of the rank of joint secretary and above.

‘‘…The government has now decided to permit all Group A and B government servants to travel on LTC by air (economy class) in national carriers, between New Delhi and Srinagar, for a period of two years and allow airfare reimbursement accordingly,’’ stated the notification issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).

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‘‘These orders shall apply to government servants who intend to visit Srinagar by availing all-India LTC, provided New Delhi is the orginating station or is en-route to Srinagar,’’ the notification added. The order is applicable with immediate effect.

According to rules, a government employee can avail LTC twice in two years—one is meant for a trip to his or her hometown and the other for all-India travel. The Centre reimburses ticket costs for employees and dependents.

The new provision, officials said, is currently applicable for a period of two years and may be reconsidered later. Earlier, government servants below the rank of joint secretary were entitled to travel to the valley only by rail, which meant a time-consuming and arduous journey.

According to sources, the notification may reach the Civil Aviation Ministry tomorrow, and then be forwarded to the national carriers.