Central Government Employees now get LTC advance ahead of 4 months of journey

Central Government Employees now get LTC advance ahead of 4 months of journey

Relaxing norms, the government today allowed central government employees to take advance four months ahead of commencing journey under Leave Travel Concession (LTC) rules.

A government employee gets reimbursement of tickets for to and fro journey, in addition to 10 days leave encashment, when he avails LTC.

The existing rules allow an employee to draw advance for LTC journey for himself and his family members 65 days before the proposed date of the outward journey.

Since, the Ministry of Railways has decided to increase the advance reservation period for booking accommodation in trains from 60 to 120 days (excluding the date of journey) with effect from April 1 2015, the time-limit for drawable of LTC advance by the government servants may be increased from 65 days (i.e. two months and 5 days) to 125 days (i.e. four months and five days) in case of journey by train, the Office Memorandum F.No.31011/8/2015-Estt (A.IV) issued today by DoPT said.

The cases where the LTC journey is proposed to be undertaken by other modes of transport viz air, sea or road, the time-limit for drawing LTC advance shall remain 65 days only, it said.

In all the cases, where an advance is drawn for the purpose of availing LTC, it will be mandatory for the government servant to produce the outward journey tickets to the competent authority within ten days of drawable of advance in order to verify that he has actually utilised the amount to purchase the tickets, the order said.

There are about 50 lakh central government employees at present.

In another order, employees have been asked to compulsorily avail catering facilities provided by the Railways on Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains and the cost is included in the ticket.

The move comes after several references were received seeking clarification regarding the admissibility of catering charges charged by the Railways in respect of the rail journey performed by Rajdhani or Shatabdi on LTC.

The matter has been examined in consultation with Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance and it is clarified that if the government servant has to compulsorily avail the catering facility and the cost is included in the rail fare for Rajdhani, Shatabdi or Duronto trains, the fare charged shall be reimbursable in full as per the entitlement or eligibility of the government servant, the order added.

Inputs via PTI

Enhancement of powers to Assistant Accounts Officer (Group -B) in DAD: PCDA(CC) Circular

Enhancement of powers to Assistant Accounts Officer (Group -B) in DAD: PCDA(CC) Circular

Office of the Principal Controller of Defence Accounts (Central Command) 

Cariappa Road, Cantt., Lucknow, Pin Code - 226002

AN/IA/l004/Circular

Dt: 07.04.2016

CIRCULAR

To,
The CDA RTC
The IFA (CC)
All Sub-offices
All Sections of Main Office

Sub: - Enhancement of powers to Assistant Accounts Officer (Group -B) in DAD

As per HQrs Circular No. AN/XI/l1060/Powers/AAO/Vol.-III dated 05.10.2011 and in continuation of the HQ office Circular No. AN/XI/l1060/Powers/AAO/Vol.-III dated 28.08.2003 and 30.07.2008, the powers delegated to AAO in respect of the following items have been enhanced as under:-

S/No.	Item as per Annexure ‘A’ of HQrs Circular No. AN/XI/l1060/Powers/AAO/Vol.-III dated 28.08.2003 and 30.07.2008	Existing Financial Power (in Rs.)	Enhanced Financial Power (in Rs.)
1.	Item No. xi : Requisition for LTC advance	10,000	25,000
2.	Item No. xiii : Advance/Withdrawal from GPF/AFPP fund - DAD and Non-DAD	50,000	1,00,000
3.	Item No. xiv : M-Section Bills	25,000	50,000
4.	Item No. xv (a) : Medical Claim/OPD Treatment	1,000	2,500
5.	Item No. xv(b) (ii) : Hospitalization Claim (Final Bills)	25,000	50,000
6.	Item No. xvi
	(a) : Third party Claims	25,000	50,000
	(b) : All Bills which are not covered above, payable through Public Fund Accounts	50,000	1,00,000

Other entries of Annexure ‘A' to HQ office circular dated 28.08.2003 will remain the same.

2. It has also been decided that the following “level jumping" shall be introduced:-

a) Two tier processing [Auditor and AAO] - for all bills up to the delegated financial powers of AAO’s as mentioned above.

b) Two tier processing [Auditor + AO/SAO] - for all bills valuing above the financial powers of AAO’s and upto Rs.2 lakhs (Two lakhs only)

c) Three tier processing [Auditor, AAO & AO/SAO] - for all bills exceeding Rs. 2 lakhs and upto Rs. 1 Crore in value in all offices except PCDA New Delhi. This limit shall be upto Rs. 5 Crores in the case of PCDA New Delhi.

d) Four tier processing [Auditor, AAO, AO/SAO 8.: Group Officer] - for all bills exceeding Rs. 1 Crore in all offices except PCDA New Delhi.

e) Four tier processing [Auditor, AAO, AO/SAO & Group Officer] - for all bills exceeding Rs. 5 Crores in PCDA New Delhi.

3. In the absence of any Time Scale IDAS Officer in an independent sub-office, the PCDA/CDA, after careful consideration and after recording speaking orders in each case, can authorize one or more Ao3 in the sub-office to pass bills for a period not exceeding three months, even when their value exceeds Rs. 1 Crore.

4. The above provisions shall be effective from 05.10.2011.

sd/-

(S.P. Singh)

ACDA (AN)

Source; www.pcdacc.gov.in
[http://pcdacc.gov.in/download/circularsnew/enhancement_of_power_to_aao.pdf]

Abolishing 12 Interest free advances recommended by 7th CPC

7th Pay Commission recommendations on LTC advance and Medical Advance

Abolishing 12 Interest free advances recommended by 7th CPC

The 7th Pay Commission has , in a casual manner, recommended that all interest free advances to be abolished. The impact of this recommendation is yet un noticed by the central government employees
There are 12 Interest free advances are listed in that table provided in the 7th CPC Report. When hearing the news that 7th cpc has recommended to abolish interest free advances , every body thought that some advances like festival advances only will be abolished. But if you read the names of advances recommended for abolishment, it will give you little bit shock.

In general opinion, the amount that is paid for government servants in some occasions and for specific purposes and the same will be recovered through monthly instalments are considered advances.

But the advance paid for Medical treatment and LTC are not supposed to be included this list, since it is reimbursable in nature and will not be recovered by Government.

The amount paid as advances to the Medical treatment and LTC are not recoverable by government if there is no any default in the claim. since the expenses incurred should be reimbursed to the Govt servants according to their entitlements, the amount paid in advance can be adjusted against the claim of reimbursement is sanctioned. So there is no need of repaying the advance to government in respect of Medical and LTC advances.These should not be included in the list of interest free advances.

Eventually abolishing these advances will make the central government employees not to avail LTC facility and medical treatment in Private hospital, since the amount of 90 % of the expenses paid in advance will not be available for them any more due to this recommendation. By availing this advances they were able to manage the Medical Expenses and by availing this advance only they were able to bye Air or Train Tickets to go on LTC.

Without these advances, the Group C and B employees cannot imagine availing of LTC to visit some places in India with their family.

The Central Government should not accept the proposal of Abolishing these advances.

Source: GServants.com

LTC advance – 65 days before the proposed date of outward journey

LTC advance – 65 days before the proposed date of outward journey

Period for applying LTC advance

A Government servant can draw the Leave Travel Concession advance 65 days before the proposed date of outward journey.

Indian Railways has fixed the advance reservation period as 120 days excluding the date of journey w.e.f. 01.04.2015 for all long distance mail/express trains as well as Shatabdi Express trains.

The issue of any change in instructions relating to drawal of advance for LTC has to be decided keeping in view all factors including changes made by the Railways, as well as financial implications.

This was stated by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions and Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Dr. Jitendra Singh in a written reply to a question by Shri Kiranmay Nanda in the Rajya Sabha today.

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