New Delhi, May 08: In a major decision to boost tourism in the scenic North Eastern region comprising of eight States namely Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim, the Centre relaxed Leave Travel Concession (LTC) Rules for its employees permitting them to travel by air.

It was the initiative taken by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region and the follow up on the recommendation of the National Conclave to promote tourism in North Eastern Region held on 16th January 2008 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi that the Central Government relaxed Leave Travel Concession (LTC) Rules to allow non-entitled Central Government employees to travel by air and conversion of one block of Home Town LTC to LTC for travel to NE States.

In a message to the public issued today, Union Minister of Development of the North Eastern Region (DoNER) Mani Shankar Aiyar said, "The Ministry for the Development of the North East Region feels proud to announce Relaxation in LTC Rules for Central Government Employees to travel to the North East States fulfilling the commitment made at the National Conclave on 16th January 2008 to promote tourism in the North East region".

"The Ministry now exhorts the Central Government employees to take advantage of the relaxation and visit this beautiful Region", it added.

In an Office Memorandum issued by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pension, Government of India on Friday last, it was stated that Group A and B Central Government employees would be entitled to travel by air from their place of posting or nearest airport to a city in the North Eastern Region.

Other categories of employees would be entitled to travel by air to a city in the North Eastern Region from Guwahati or Kolkata.

All Central Government employees would be allowed conversion of one block of Home Town LTC into LTC for destinations in the North Eastern Region, the office memorandum said.

The OM further stated that the orders should be in operation for a period of two years from the date of issue of the office memorandum i.e the 2nd May 2008 and data regarding the number of employees availing LTC to the North Eastern Region would be maintained.

In order to accelerate the inflow of tourists to Manipur, the Manipur Tourist Information Centre, New Delhi under the Department of Tourism, Government of Manipur provided various facilities for tourists like Air ticketing, rail ticketing, hotels booking, cars rental for airport/railway station pick-up and drop, tourist bus tickets, group booking for students, top-ups, movies ticket, Manipuri foods at INA and Pitampura Dilli Haats commencing from the 23rd April 2008 .

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