Published: 10 September 2026 | Category: DoPT Orders, LTC, Central Government Employees News
The Department of Personnel & Training has extended one of the most popular LTC facilities for central government employees. The Special Dispensation Scheme — which allows you to travel by air to the North East Region, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh and Andaman & Nicobar Islands — was going to expire on 25 September 2026.
It has now been extended for two more years.
If you are a central government employee, including anyone working in India Post, read this post fully. The scheme has real money value, but there are strict conditions attached, and a lot of employees lose their reimbursement simply because they booked the ticket in the wrong place.
Quick Summary of the Order
- OM Number: F.No. 31011/15/2022-Estt-A-IV
- Issued By: Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Department of Personnel & Training (Personnel Policy Division)
- Address: Kartavaya Bhawan-3, New Delhi-110001
- Date: 09 September 2026
- Signed By: Rohit Kumar, Under Secretary to the Government of India (Tel: 24010436)
- Subject: CCS (LTC) Rules, 1988 — relaxation to travel by air to NER, UT of J&K, UT of Ladakh and A&N Islands
- Previous OM Extended: OM of same number dated 17.09.2024
- New Validity: 26 September 2026 to 25 September 2028
- Applies To: All eligible central government employees
- Hindi Version: To follow
What Is the Special Dispensation Scheme?
In simple words, it is a relaxation of the normal CCS (LTC) Rules, 1988.
Normally, whether you can fly on LTC depends on your grade pay and entitlement. Under this scheme, that restriction is relaxed for four specific regions:
- NER — North East Region
- UT of Jammu & Kashmir
- UT of Ladakh
- A&N — Andaman & Nicobar Islands
The idea is to encourage government employees and their families to visit these regions, which also supports local tourism there.
The Nine Conditions You Must Know
The order lists nine terms and conditions. Here they are in plain language.
1. Conversion of One Home Town LTC
All eligible government servants may visit any place in NER, A&N, J&K or Ladakh by converting one Home Town LTC in a four-year block period.
2. If Your Home Town and Headquarters Are the Same — You Are Not Eligible
Employees whose Home Town and Headquarters/place of posting are the same cannot convert any Home Town LTC, because they are not eligible for the Home Town LTC facility in the first place.
This is the single most common eligibility mistake. Check this before you plan anything.
3. If Your Home Town Is Already in One of These Regions
If your Home Town is situated in NER, A&N, J&K or Ladakh, you can still convert your Home Town LTC — but only to visit one of the other three regions, not the region where your own Home Town is located.
Example: if your home town is in Assam (NER), you can use this scheme to visit J&K, Ladakh or A&N, but not another place within NER.
4. Special Benefit for Fresh Recruits
Fresh Recruits get more:
- Conversion of one of the three Home Town LTCs in a block of four years, to visit NER, A&N, J&K or Ladakh.
- Plus one additional conversion of Home Town LTC to visit UT of J&K or UT of Ladakh in a block of four years.
So fresh recruits effectively get two conversions in the block.
5. Employees Entitled to Air Travel
You may avail this concession from your Headquarters, in your entitled class, by any airline, subject to the booking conditions in the DoPT OMs dated 29.08.2022 and 20.10.2023.
6. Employees NOT Entitled to Air Travel — The Sector Rule
If you are not entitled to air travel, you can still fly in Economy class by any airline, but only on these sectors:
| Sector | Route |
|---|---|
| a | Between Kolkata / Guwahati and any place in NER |
| b | Between Kolkata / Chennai / Visakhapatnam and Port Blair |
| c | Between Delhi / Amritsar and any place in J&K / Ladakh |
The journey from your Headquarters up to Kolkata, Guwahati, Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Delhi or Amritsar must be undertaken as per your normal entitlement (usually train or bus).
7. Works With Both Types of LTC
Air travel to NER, J&K, Ladakh and A&N is allowed irrespective of whether you avail it against Anywhere in India LTC or in lieu of Home Town LTC.
8. Direct Flight Is Allowed — But Read the Catch
Non-entitled employees may fly directly from their Headquarters to any place in NER, A&N, J&K or Ladakh without breaking the journey at the sector cities.
But the reimbursement will be subject to the conditions in the OM dated 29.08.2022 — which means you will be paid the actual air fare for the direct journey OR the fare entitled under the Special Dispensation Scheme, whichever is less.
So flying direct is legal, but you may not get the full amount back. Plan accordingly.
9. Booking Rules Apply
All the instructions about authorised travel agents, best available fares, time slots, booking time, advances and reimbursement continue to apply to this scheme.
How to Book Your LTC Air Ticket (This Is Where People Lose Money)
These rules come from the enclosed OM dated 29.08.2022 and its modification dated 20.10.2023.
Only Three Authorised Travel Agents (ATAs)
Tickets must be purchased only from these three:
| Agent | Website |
|---|---|
| M/s Balmer Lawrie & Company Ltd (BLCL) | govemp.balmerlawrietravelapp.com |
| M/s Ashok Travels & Tours (ATT) | www.attitdc.in |
| IRCTC | www.air.irctc.co.in |
No agency charges or convenience fees are payable to these three agents. You can choose whichever one you prefer.
Booking from MakeMyTrip, Goibibo, the airline’s own website, or a local travel agent is not allowed. This is the number one reason LTC claims get rejected.
Best Available Fare Rule
- Choose the flight with the Best Available Fare, which means the cheapest fare in your entitled class.
- Non-stop flights are preferred.
- Choose within your desired 3-hour time slot from these bands: 00:00–03:00, 03:00–06:00, 06:00–09:00, 09:00–12:00, 12:00–15:00, 15:00–18:00, 18:00–21:00, 21:00–24:00.
- There is a 10% price band allowed for optimisation, so you can pick a slightly costlier flight for convenience and comfort, as long as it is within 10% of the cheapest.
The 2023 Modification That Made Life Easier
Earlier, many claims were stuck because employees forgot to save the screenshot of the fare page. So DoPT changed the rule in October 2023:
- All three ATAs now only display the cheapest fare and flights priced within 10% of it, for your chosen slot.
- Therefore, booking through these three websites is itself proof that you booked the cheapest fare.
- All three agents must print the word ‘LTC’ on tickets issued for an LTC journey.
Important exception: if you are a non-entitled employee flying directly under the Special Dispensation Scheme, you must still take the print-out of the webpage showing flight and fare details from the relevant railhead (Kolkata / Guwahati / Delhi / Amritsar / Chennai / Visakhapatnam) to your place of visit, in the same time slot as your direct flight. If no flight was available in that slot, keep the print-out of the next slot.
Other Booking Rules
- Book at least 21 days before your travel date.
- Avoid cancellations. Cancelling less than 24 hours before travel requires a self-declared justification. The three ATAs have been directed to provide zero/nil cancellation charges; until then, cancellation charges are reimbursed only where the cancellation was beyond your control.
- Book only one ticket per leg. Holding more than one ticket is not allowed.
- Prefer the Self Booking Tool / online portal of the three ATAs, and register your official government email ID with them.
- No official email? Your administrative office can send your name, employee code, private email ID and mobile number to the travel agents so you can still register.
- If you had to book from an unauthorised agent due to unavoidable circumstances, relaxation can be granted by the Financial Advisor of the Ministry/Department, or a Head of Department not below the rank of Joint Secretary in subordinate/attached offices.
- No mileage points will be generated against travel on government account.
LTC Advance — How Much and When
| Your Situation | What You Can Claim as Advance | When to Apply |
|---|---|---|
| Entitled to air travel | Advance based on the print-out of the ATA webpage showing the flight and fare in your 3-hour slot | At least 30 days before journey |
| Not entitled to air travel, flying but NOT under this scheme | Advance with reference to Rail / Bus fare only | As per rules |
| Not entitled to air travel, flying UNDER this scheme | Rail/Bus fare from Headquarters up to Kolkata/Guwahati/Chennai/Visakhapatnam/Delhi/Amritsar plus air fare from that railhead to your place of visit | As per rules |
Reimbursement Rules
- If the fare changes between the time you requested the advance and the time you actually booked, the difference will be adjusted at the time of final settlement.
- Non-entitled employee flying direct under the scheme: reimbursement is the actual air fare for the direct journey OR the fare entitled under the Special Dispensation Scheme, whichever is less.
- Non-entitled employee flying but NOT under the scheme: you must still book through the three ATAs regardless of the booking time limit, and reimbursement is the actual air fare OR the entitled train/bus fare for the shortest route, whichever is less.
Warning: Misuse Will Be Taken Seriously
The order is blunt about this. All Ministries and Departments have been advised to tell employees that any misuse of LTC will be viewed seriously and defaulting employees will be liable for appropriate action under the rules.
To keep a check, Ministries and Departments have been advised to randomly get air tickets verified directly from the airlines to compare the actual cost of travel with the cost shown on the ticket submitted by the official.
In simple words: inflated tickets will get caught. Do not do it.
One More Point Worth Noting
For persons serving in the Indian Audit and Accounts Department, these orders have been issued in consultation with the Comptroller & Auditor General of India, as mandated under Article 148(5) of the Constitution of India.
Simple Checklist Before You Plan Your Trip
- Confirm your Home Town and Headquarters are not the same.
- Confirm you still have an unused Home Town LTC in your current four-year block.
- Decide the region — remember, if your home town is in one of the four regions, you must pick a different one.
- Book only through BLCL, ATT or IRCTC.
- Book at least 21 days in advance.
- Pick the cheapest fare in your chosen 3-hour slot, or within the 10% band.
- Check that the ticket shows the word ‘LTC’.
- If you are non-entitled and flying direct, save the railhead-to-destination fare print-out for the same time slot.
- Apply for advance 30 days before, if you need one.
- Travel must be completed on or before 25 September 2028.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Till when is the LTC Special Dispensation Scheme valid now? From 26 September 2026 till 25 September 2028.
Q2. Which regions are covered? North East Region, UT of Jammu & Kashmir, UT of Ladakh, and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
Q3. I am not entitled to air travel. Can I still fly? Yes, in Economy class by any airline, on the notified sectors — Kolkata/Guwahati to NER, Kolkata/Chennai/Visakhapatnam to Port Blair, and Delhi/Amritsar to J&K/Ladakh. The journey up to those cities must be as per your normal entitlement.
Q4. My home town and my place of posting are the same. Am I eligible? No. You are not eligible for Home Town LTC, so there is nothing to convert.
Q5. My home town is in the North East. Can I use this scheme? Yes, but only to visit one of the other three regions — J&K, Ladakh or A&N — not another place within NER.
Q6. Can I book from MakeMyTrip or directly from the airline website? No. Only Balmer Lawrie, Ashok Travels & Tours, or IRCTC. Booking elsewhere needs a formal relaxation from the Financial Advisor or a Head of Department not below Joint Secretary rank.
Q7. Do I still need to save the fare screenshot? Generally no, because booking on the three ATA websites is itself proof of the cheapest fare. But non-entitled employees flying direct under this scheme must still keep the railhead-to-destination fare print-out.
Q8. What do fresh recruits get? One conversion out of their three Home Town LTCs in a four-year block, plus one additional conversion specifically for UT of J&K or UT of Ladakh.
Q9. How early should I book? At least 21 days before travel. For an LTC advance, apply at least 30 days before the journey.
Final Word
Two years sounds like a long time, but LTC blocks move fast and flight fares to these regions climb sharply in peak season. If you have an unused Home Town LTC and you have been thinking about Leh, Srinagar, Port Blair or the North East — this is the window.