EPFO Extends LTC Air Travel Relaxation till 25 September 2026
Overview: The Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) has extended the special dispensation under the Central Civil Services (Leave Travel Concession) Rules, 1988, allowing Central Government employees to travel by air to the North Eastern Region (NER), Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. The extended period is 26 September 2024 to 25 September 2026. The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) circulated this OM to its offices on 30 October 2025.
Key provisions (at a glance)
- Eligible employees can convert one Home Town LTC in a 4-year block to visit any place in the four covered regions.
- Employees whose Home Town and Headquarters are the same cannot convert Home Town LTC (they are ineligible for Home Town LTC).
- If an employee’s Home Town lies in one of the four regions, they may convert Home Town LTC to visit any of the other three regions (but not their home region).
- Fresh recruits may convert one of their Home Town LTCs to visit the covered regions and are allowed an additional conversion to visit J&K or Ladakh in the same block.
Travel entitlement — who can fly and from where
a) Employees entitled to air travel under normal LTC rules may travel by air from their Headquarters in their entitled class on any airline.
b) Employees not ordinarily entitled to air travel are allowed to travel by Economy class on any airline in the following sectors:
| Region | Permitted Sectors / Gateway Cities |
|---|---|
| North Eastern Region (NER) | Between Kolkata / Guwahati and any place in NER |
| Andaman & Nicobar Islands (A&N) | Between Kolkata / Chennai / Visakhapatnam and Port Blair |
| Jammu & Kashmir & Ladakh | Between Delhi / Amritsar and any place in J&K / Ladakh |
Travel from Headquarters to the selected gateway city (Kolkata, Guwahati, Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Delhi or Amritsar) shall be as per normal entitlement.
Booking of air tickets — mandatory instructions (Revised)
All LTC air tickets must be booked only through the following authorized travel agents (ATAs):
- Balmer Lawrie & Co. Ltd.
- Ashok Travels & Tours
- IRCTC
- All three authorized agents shall indicate the word “LTC” on tickets issued for the LTC journey.
- While booking air-tickets through ATAs, employees must ensure that ticket(s) is/are booked under the category “LTC” only and not “Corporate”.
These two conditions are mandatory — failure to comply may result in denial of reimbursement or additional verification queries from the employee’s department.
Reimbursement & compliance
Employees must retain e-tickets, boarding passes and payment receipts. Ministries / Departments are advised to randomly verify submitted air tickets with airlines to ensure that the fare claimed matches the actual fare paid. Any misuse of LTC will invite strict disciplinary action under applicable rules.
Quick summary
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Issuing Authority | Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) |
| Circulated by | Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) |
| Validity | 26 Sep 2024 – 25 Sep 2026 |
| Regions Covered | NER, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh |
| Authorized Agents | Balmer Lawrie, Ashok Travels & Tours, IRCTC |
| Mandatory Booking Rule | Ticket must show “LTC” & be booked under “LTC” category (not “Corporate”) |
| Misuse | Misuse will attract disciplinary actions |
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