7th Pay Commission: Huge benefit announced for government servants, their spouses

7th Pay Commission: Over 50 lakh central government employees in India have been eagerly awaiting the implementation of 7th Pay Commission recommendations.

7th Pay Commission: Over 50 lakh central government employees in India have been eagerly awaiting the implementation. (Source: PTI)

7th Pay Commission: Over 50 lakh central government employees in India have been eagerly awaiting the implementation of 7th Pay Commission recommendations. Even though the benefits have not been passed on to all of them, a recent announcement made by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) under Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions brought good news for a certain section. In this circular that was issued on March 27, the ministry said that government employees and their spouses will now be able to avail Leave Travel Concession (LTC).

The ministry said that due to the existing LTC instructions, government servants and their spouses, working in Indian Railways, are not entitled to the facility of LTC as the facility of “Free Pass” is available to them. However, Seventh Pay Commission recommended that they should be included in the LTC fold.

“The matter has been considered in this department in consultation with Ministry of Railways. It has been decided that Railway employees may be allowed to avail all-India LTC once in a block of four years,” the ministry said while adding, “The ‘All-India LTC’ will be purely optional for railway employees.”

The ministry, however, made it clear that all the railway employees shall continue to be governed by the Railway Servants (Pass) Rules and availing of the “All India LTC” under the CCS (LTC) Rules by them will be facilitated through a special order under the relevant provision of the said Pass Rules.

It was also made clear that the railway employees will not be eligible for “Home Town LTC” and will have to surrender the Privilege Passes (concessional or free tickets) admissible to them in the calendar year in which they intend to avail the LTC facility.

Meanwhile, the Mizoram Finance Minister Lalsawta on Wednesday informed the state legislature that the state government intended to implement the seventh central pay commission during 2018-2019. Replying to questions from five members, Lalsawta said that the government had been waiting for the recommendation of a committee to study the seventh pay commission which was yet to submit its report and recommendations.

He said that the state government would incur an additional expenditure of Rs 563.24 crore if and when the seventh central pay commission recommendation was implemented.

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