New Delhi, Jan 16 (NationPress) The Central government has released a directive permitting its employees to travel on Tejas, Vande Bharat, and Humsafar express trains under the Leave Travel Concession (LTC) scheme. This initiative aims to offer more efficient and speedy travel alternatives for employees looking to return to their hometowns or visit tourist attractions during their leave.

As per the recent directive issued this week, employees can now utilize these premium trains alongside Rajdhani, Shatabdi, and Duronto trains, depending on their travel eligibility.

This change was communicated by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) following numerous requests from various government sectors and personnel. The DoPT formulated the updated regulations in collaboration with the Department of Expenditure before finalizing the order.

Under the Leave Travel Concession (LTC) scheme, central government employees can have their round-trip ticket expenses reimbursed based on their rank and pay scale.

While some premium trains like Rajdhani Express, Shatabdi, and Duronto were part of the scheme, the recently introduced Tejas and Vande Bharat trains were previously excluded.

As per the DoPT order, “After thorough examination with the Department of Expenditure, it has been concluded that travel via Tejas Express, Vande Bharat Express, and Humsafar Express trains under LTC is now permitted according to the entitlements of government employees.”

The LTC program allows government employees to cover travel costs to their hometown or any destination within India over a four-year cycle.

This program provides government employees and their families with two choices. They can either claim travel reimbursements to their hometown twice within a four-year block, divided into two two-year segments, or they can opt to visit their hometown once every two years and travel for leisure anywhere in India during the remaining two-year period.