(a) whether the Government proposes to provide Leave Travel Concession (LTC) to Government employees to visit some South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries;
(b) if so, the details thereof and the purpose behind this move;
(c) the time by which a final decision is likely to be taken in this regard; and
(d) the other steps taken/being taken by the Government to include more places under conversion of home town LTC to anywhere in the country?
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)
(a) to (c): A proposal to provide Leave Travel Concession (LTC) to Government employees to visit some SAARC countries is in its initial stage of consideration. The details are yet to be finalized.
The purpose behind the proposal is to enhance people-to-people contact and bilateral ties in the SAARC region through increase in tourism in the region.
(d): As per the Government’s order dated 26.09.2014, the Government has extended the facility of conversion of home town LTC to visit the states in the North East Region, Jammu & Kashmir and the UT of Andaman & Nicobar Islands for a period of two years upto 25.09.2016. This facility was first introduced in the year 2008.
Presently, no other proposal is under consideration for including more places under the conversion of Home Town LTC to anywhere in the country.