Accepting requests of employees, the Union govt has announced some relief measures for the benefit of those who couldn't avail of LTC due to COVID.
In some relief for Centre government employees who couldn’t avail of the full benefit due to the COVID-induced lockdown in 2020, the Union government announced three new decisions in an Office Memorandum (OM) dated January 7, 2021, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT). Pertaining to several airlines cancelling confirm tickets owing to the lockdown, the DoPT noted that employees didn’t receive not refund amount and the airlines instead kept the booking amount in the form of ‘credit shell’, allowing passengers to travel again within a year. “This is causing undue hardships to the Government employees as the LTC advance along with penal interest, is required to be returned if the journey is not undertaken,” DoPT said.
This is causing many government employees to face financial constraints due to the high amount of cancellation fees charged by airlines. The DoPT, in this case, received several requests from employees for providing relief in both cases in the form of one-time relaxation for reimbursement of the cancellaion charges and sought an extension of time limit for settlement of LTC advance and exemption of penal interest till such date the journey is performed by them.
The Union government has now accepted both requests of employees and issued instructions in this regard to various ministries and departments. The ministries/departments have been given the power to reimburse the cancellation/reschedule charges as a one-time relaxation to employees who had booked advance air/train tickets for claiming LTC benefit but could not undertake the journey due to the lockdown.
In cases where the airlines have kept the refund amount in ‘Credit Shell’, the ministries/departments have been allowed to extend the period of repayment of LTC advance taken by the government several for LTC journey to 28th February 2021, or till the amount in the Credit Shell is utilised (whichever is earlier).
In cases where the employees have withdrawn LTC advance and leave encashment for the LTC journey but didn't undertake the journey because of the lockdown, they have been allowed to avail of the Special Cash Package Scheme in lieu of LTC.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "LTC")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}