Modification in the Travelling Allowance - New order dated 22.01.09

At last Central govt officers working in field formations could breath easy after this new stand taken by the department on TA Rules.

As you are all aware of the modified Travelling Allowance Rules as per Office Memorandum dated 23.09.08 consequent on Sixth pay commission recommendations, which was based on reimbursement principle (i.e) Officers have to produce receipts for the amount spent on accommodation, food, transportation etc.

This principle may be fine for the officers who travel to a cities, as the charges for lodging, transportation etc could be claimed at actuals subject to a maximum ceiling.

However, Officers who had to travel on duty to remote places like villages sea shores were really put to hardship because they could not get the receipts for the amount spent by them for food as it would be meaningless to ask for serially numbered bill from a small Hotelier or “Dhabawala” in those places. Even for those who travel long distances in trains in which fare is not inclusive of food, it would be very difficult to get receipts for food from pantry car or railway platform salesmen.

Now, this hardship has been done away with by the issue of new Ofice Memorandum dated 22.01.2009, as the Govt has decided to sanction daily allowance on tour, based on earlir office memorandum dated 17.04.1998 in case the officers opted to claim slab rate based daily allowance instead of reimbursement based travelling allowance prescribed vide office memorandum dated 23.09.08.

In a nutshell, this new order provides the choice to the Officers for claiming the Travelling allowance either based on old TA rates as per the office memo dated 17.04.98 or at actuals using the bills for food etc as per the office memorandum dated 23.09.08. However, Officers can not mix up these two orders for a single tour.

The details of new pay is as follows:-

OLD PAY RANGE-------------------------PAY IN PAY BAND----RATE

(1) 16400 & above-------------------30500 & above-------------OLD RATES AS PER CITY

(2)8000-16399---------------------15000-30499--------------- do-----

(3)6500-7999----------------------12500-14999----------------do------
(4)4100-6499----------------------8000-12499------------------do-----

(5)Below 4100---------------------Below8000------------------do-------

MORE PUNCH POWER FOR BSF

Coming: 29 more BSF battalions January 20
Deployment of the Border Security Force (BSF) personnel along the country’s western and eastern frontiers will get a massive boost with the Centre giving sanction for raising of 29 more battalions for the force.

BSF DG Mahendra Kumawat, who is on a visit to the frontiers in the North East, today informed that it was for the first time since inception of the BSF in December, 1965, that such a large number of battalions were being raised at one go.

He said at least a dozen of the newly raised battalions would be deployed along the India-Bangladesh border in the North East. “As raising of these new battalions will take at least two years, more forces will be deployed along the frontiers in the North East by withdrawing personnel from theatre in other parts of the country,” he informed.

Regarding the situation along the Pakistan border, Kumawat said, “We are fully vigilant along the Pakistan border and are ready to face any situation.” The BSF guards 2,300 km of the total 3,078 km border with Pakistan.

DA RATE TO BE 22 %

Expected DA for Central Government Employees from 1.1.2009 - 22%
All India Consumer Price Index Number for Industrial Workers (CPI-IW) on base 2001=100 for the month of November, 2008 remained stationary at 148 (one hundred and fortyeight).During November, 2008, the index recorded maximum increase of 5 points each in Quilon and Madurai centres, 3 points each in Mysore, Ernakulam, Bhilwara and Coonoor centres, 2 points in 13 centres and 1 point in 14 centres.
The index decreased by 1 point in 19 centres and 2 points each in Jalandhar, Nasik, Bhavnagar, Siliguri, Asansol and Howrah centres, while in remaining 20 centres the index remained stationary.
The maximum increase of 5 points in Quilon centre is mainly due to Fish, Fresh Vegetable Items and Washing Soap etc., while that in Madurai centre is mainly due to Rice and Vegetable Items. The increase of 3 points each in Mysore, Ernakulam, Bhilwara and Coonoor centres is due to Rice, Onion, Fish Fresh, Vegetable Items, Tea Readymade, Toilet Soap etc. While the decrease of 2 points each in Jalandhar, Nasik, Bhavnagar, Siliguri, Asansol and Howrah centres is due to decrease in the prices of Vegetable items, Mustard Oil, Groundnut Oil etc.
The point to point rate of inflation for the month of November, 2008 remained constant 10.45% at the level of October, 2008. The CPI-IW for December, 2008 will be released on the last working day of the next month, i.e. 30th January, 2009.
All India Consumer Price Index Industrial Workers BASE YEAR 2001 = 100
Month
Base year 2001=100
Total of 12 Months
12 Month Average
% Increase over 115.76 for DA
Jul-2008
143
1634
136.17
17.63
Aug2008
145
1646
137.17
18.50
Sep-2008
146
1659
138.25
19.43
Oct-2008
148
1673
139.42
20.44
Expected Dearness Allowance for Central Government Employees from 1.1.2009 - 22%