Earlier according to orders issued by the CPC recommendations for “Fresh Recruits” to the central Government had laid down LTC entitlement. The fresh recruits to the Central Government were allowed to travel to their home town along with their families on three occasions in a block of 4 years and are permitted to visit a chosen place in India on the 4th instance. This facility was available for the new appointments only for the first two blocks of four years applicable after joining the Government for the first time.
Amendment to the Order in 2018
After 2008 and 2014 the order has made more modifications to the order. The DoPT extended the LTC Scheme for two years till September 25, 2020, via an OM dated 20-09-2018. In place of Home Town LTC, the program permitted government employees to travel by flight to the North East Region (NER), Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (A&N). This OM permitted new recruits to change one of the 3 Home Town LTCs available to them over a four-year period.
As a result, fresh entrants to the Central Government were granted LTC to their home town along with their family three times in a four-year period, and to any location in India on the fourth occasion.
According to the DoPT OM, this provision is offered to new recruits during the first two LTC blocks of four years after entering the government for the first time.
Fresh recruits were authorized to use one of the three Home Town LTCs to fly to the UT of Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, the North-East Region, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Although, this is no longer the case.
Present Home Town LTC Rules and Modifications
The Union Government has approved the conversion of one more Home Town LTC for Fresh Recruits to visit the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir. According to an Office Memorandum (OM) issued by the Government of India’s Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on March 17, 2020, it was declared to permit fresh recruits one added conversion of Home Town LTC to travel by air to any location in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir for each block of four years, for a total of four times in the first eight years upon becoming eligible for LTC (twice in each block of four years).
The travel reimbursements and other LTC criteria for this plan will be the same as those specified in DoPT’s O.M. No. 31011/3/2018-Estt.A-lV dated 20.09.2018 and 20.06.2019. The change has come as good news for fresh recruits who can now choose to convert one more of their Home Town LTC for a visit to the Union Territory of J&K.