Great News for State Government Employees! LTC & HTC Period Extended by One Year

LTC & HTC Period Extended: There is significant and welcome news for West Bengal State Government employees. According to a memorandum issued by the Finance Department, the government has decided to extend the current block period for Leave Travel Concession (LTC) and Home Travel Concession (HTC) by one year. This employee-friendly step has been taken keeping in mind that a considerable number of employees have not been able to avail this facility within the current block period. Let’s look into the details of this announcement.

The New Extended Deadline

As per the notification issued by the Finance Department, employees who were unable to take their entitled LTC or HTC within the current block period will now get an additional year.

• Leave Travel Concession (LTC): The current block period, which was scheduled to end on 31/10/2025, will now be extended up to 31/10/2026.
• Home Travel Concession (HTC): Similarly, for HTC, the end date for the current block has been extended from 31/10/2025 to 31/10/2026.

Why Was This Decision Made?

It was brought to the government’s attention that a significant number of employees were either unable to avail, or were not in a position to avail, the LTC/HTC facility. After careful consideration of the matter, the government decided to grant this extension. This has been announced as a one-time relaxation for employees who could not get the benefit within the stipulated time.

The Most Important Point: When Does the Next Block Period Start?

It is crucial to note one very important clarification. This extension is only applicable to the current block period. The memorandum explicitly states that the next regular block period for both LTC and HTC will commence as usual from 01/11/2025, despite the extension.

This means the extension will not alter or postpone the start of subsequent block periods. While employees who missed out can avail their current block’s benefit until 31/10/2026, their next block will still begin its countdown from 01/11/2025.

What are LTC and HTC?

LTC and HTC are two important travel concessions for State Government employees.

• Home Travel Concession (HTC): Under this facility, employees are entitled to a travel concession once every five years for visiting any place within the State of West Bengal.
• Leave Travel Concession (LTC): This facility allows employees to get a travel concession once every ten years for visiting any place within India or in specified neighboring countries.

Apart from this extension, all other terms and conditions for availing LTC/HTC will remain unchanged. This is undoubtedly a great opportunity for all employees who have not yet availed this benefit. It is advisable to plan your travels soon to make use of this extended period.