Will Central Government Pensioners Get The Benefit Of LTC? Here's What We Know So Far 

Central government pensioners have reason to be pleased, as the government has officially taken their leave travel concession (LTC) request on record. LTC is a travel benefit offered to central government employees at a concessional rate. According to government provisions, this benefit applies to employees’ and their family’s travel to their hometown or any other place in India, twice in four years. They can avail of the facility once every two years out of the four-year block. The government bears their travel expenses. Even if employees and their family members travel in different groups or at different times in these two-year blocks, they are still eligible for the LTC benefit.

However, when an employee retires, this benefit ceases to exist. Against which pensioners have been raising their demand to extend the LTC benefit to pensioners. One such demand was raised by pensioners in January this year. The Defence Accounts Pensioners Welfare Association sent a letter to the Ministry of Finance on January 17, 2025, demanding the extension of LTC to pensioners.

In reply to this, the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT), under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, acknowledged the letter and replied to it.

The reply reads, “The suggestions mentioned in your letter dated 17.1.2025 have been taken on record for appropriate action in due course of time.”

The acknowledgement and reply indicate a positive sign from the government in this regard.

In the letter, the Pensioner Welfare Association had asked for All-India LTC for retirees every four years, similar to serving employees. They reasoned that retirees should be given LTC benefits so that they can visit their family and friends across the country and remain connected with them.

Who Can And Cannot Avail LTC Benefit?

According to the DoPT’s office memorandum dated April 30, 2024, LTC facilities are available to employees: 

• Who are appointed to civil services and posts, including civilian Government servants in the Defence Services in connection with the affairs of the Union

• Who are employed under a State Government, and who are on deputation with the Central Government

• Who are appointed on a contract basis

• Who are re-employed after their retirement

It further defines who is not eligible for LTC benefits:

• Government servants not in whole-time employment

• persons in casual and daily rated employment

• persons paid from contingencies

• members of the Armed Forces

• railway servants

• local recruits in Indian Missions abroad

• person eligible to any other form of travel concession available during leave or otherwise

 Notably, railway employees are also not eligible under these provisions, but they can avail of LTC benefits under the CCS (LTC) Rules, 1988.

Recently, Union Minister of State and Personnel Jitendra Singh, while talking about the rising number of pension litigation and the need for systemic reforms in pension administration, highlighted that serving pensioners are outnumbering serving employees. Amid this, the government needs to decide how to address LTC demands and other needs of pensioners.