Cap on bills blocks payment of pending LTC dues to teachers

A cap imposed on the release of Leave Travel Concession (LTC) bills for government school teachers in Haryana has halted the disbursement of funds despite the state government announcing a budget allocation. The move has affected around 500 teachers in Faridabad district alone.

The Education Department sources revealed that while Rs 4.5 crore has been allocated for Faridabad, the cap by the Finance Department may prevent the funds from reaching the beneficiaries. Statewide, over Rs 35.55 crore has been earmarked for districts like Gurugram, Bhiwani, Fatehabad, Kaithal, Hisar and others, but approximately 8,000 teachers across the state are unlikely to receive the payment.

The LTC dues pertain to the block period of 2020-23 and were initially expected to be paid by December 31, 2023. However, delays due to a lack of budgetary allocation and the election process have extended the payment timeline. “The release, which was due on December 31, 2023, was not only extended by one year to December 31, 2024, but the delay has now touched two years,” said Chatar Singh, treasurer, Haryana Primary Teachers Association.

He expressed concern over the ongoing cap, stating that if funds are not transferred by December 31, the benefit may lapse. “The unavailability of the budget and financial restrictions have deprived teachers of their dues for about five years, causing immense agony and unrest,” he added.

Raghu Vats, a representative of the Haryana Guest Teachers Association, demanded the immediate release of pending dues. “Any delay will negate the government’s budget announcement and escalate the issue further,” he said.

Ajit Singh, District Education Officer, clarified that the LTC budget would not lapse if not released by December 31. He attributed the cap to technical reasons and expressed hope for its removal soon.