Refund of Penal Interest on LTC Claims
The Bharatiya Pratiraksha Mazdoor Sangh, an all India federation of defence workers, has written a letter to the Joint Secretary (E), Government of India, Ministry of Defence, requesting the refund of penal interest charged to Group ‘B’ and ‘C’ Defence Civilian employees who had availed LTC to NER, J&K, A&N Islands by air after purchasing tickets from private/unauthorized travel agents. The federation had earlier requested the DoP&T and MOD to consider the issues related to LTC, and after the matter was considered, a one-time relaxation was granted subject to certain conditions.
However, before the relaxation could be granted, the audit authorities had already recovered the advance/claimed amount along with the charging of penal interest. The federation is requesting that the penal interest be refunded to the affected employees.
भारतीय प्रतिरक्षा मजदूर संघ
Bharatiya Pratiraksha Mazdoor Sangh
(AN ALL INDIA FEDERATION OF DEFENCE WORKERS)
(AN INDUSTRIAL UNIT OF B.M.S.)
(RECOGNISED BY MINISTRY OF DEFENCE, GOVT. OF INDIA)
CENTRAL OFFICE : 2-A, NAVIN MARKET, KANPUR-1
REF: BPMS/ MOD / LTC / 50 (7/2/R)
Dated: 24.04.2023
To,
The Jt. Secretary (E),
Govt of India, Min of Defence,
South Block, DHQ PO,
New Delhi – 110011
Subject: Refund of Penal Interest on LTC Claims.
Sir,
I am writing to request your attention to the matter of the penal interest charged to Group ‘B’ & ‘C’ Defence Civilian employees who had availed LTC to NER, J&K, A&N Islands by air after purchasing tickets from private/unauthorized travel agents. As you may recall, vide letter No. BPMS / DoP&T/ LTC / 50 (7/2/R), Dated 10.11.2014 this federation requested the DoP&T as well as MOD to consider the issues related to LTC and in turn the Ministry of Defence had sent a proposal to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on 09.02.2017 seeking a one-time relaxation in this regard.
The DoPT had sympathetically considered the matter and had communicated via I.D. Note No. 43020/2/2016-Estt.(A-IV), dated 19.02.2020, that such relaxation would be granted with the concurrence of the Financial Advisor of the concerned Ministry/Department, subject to certain conditions. However, before the relaxation could be granted, the audit authorities had already recovered the advance/claimed amount along with the charging of penal interest.
Now that the cases have been considered and the claims have been settled by granting one-time relaxation, it is only fair that the penal interest charged to the affected employees be refunded. We request you to kindly initiate the necessary steps to refund the penal interest to those employees whose claims have been allowed by granting one-time relaxation. We hope that you will take swift action in this matter and ensure that justice is done to the affected employees.
Thank you for your attention.
Sincerely yours
(MUKESH SINGH)
General Secretary/BPMS &
Member, JCM-II Level Council (MOD)