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Kerala Service Rules- Part II

(Travelling Allowance Rules)

Upto February 2011

I. Introduction

Travelling Allowance is an allowance granted to an officer to cover the expenses incurred

by him in travelling in the interest of public service. It includes allowances granted for the

maintenance of conveyance. (R. 12 (37) PI KSRs.)

TA is classified as compensatory allowance and it should not be on the whole a source of

profit to the receipient. (R 44 PI KSRs).

II. Important definitions

Day: means day beginning and ending at midnight; but, an absence from Head Quarter

which does not exceed 24 hours shall be reckoned as one day for calculating TA, at

whatever hours the absence begins or ends. (R 12 (6) PI KSRs)

Head Quarter: means the radius of 8 k.m. around the place or office in which an officer is

employed. The office in which the officer is employed is called the duty point at the Head

Quarter.

No TA is admissible for journey within the Head Quarters. The items admissible are: (i)

actual cost to the officers in Grade (III) or (IV) when deputed for duty or called to duty; (ii)

allowance to teaching staff of Training Centres when deputed for practice teaching.(iii)

actual fare subject to a maximum of Rs.10 to last grade employees attending treasury duty

since 23-09-2002, and (iv) conveyance allowance to attend Annual Firing course and NCC

camp. (R.64, 5,9 P II KSRs, GO (p) 567/02/Fin dated 23/09/2002 & notes 2&3 to R 57 PII).

Pay: means the amount drawn monthly by an officer as substantive pay or officiating pay

including personal pay, special pay and any other emoluments specially classified as pay.

(R 12(23) PI KSRs).

Public conveyance: means a train, steamer, bus, boat or other conveyance which plies

regularly for conveyance of passengers (R 12 (29) PI KSR s).

Special conveyance: means a motor car or motor cycle/scooter engaged or used by an

officer during tour for which the entire cost of its use and propulsion is paid by the officer.

(note under R.31 part II KSRs).

III General

The following are the five kinds of TA which may be drawn in different circumstances. R 5

1. Permanent Traveling Allowance

2. Permanent Conveyance Allowance

3. Mileage Allowance

4. Daily Allowance

5. Actual Expenses

Permanent Traveling Allowance: It is a fixed monthly allowance granted to an officer for

frequent travel within his jurisdiction. For the drawal of full amount of PTA, an officer should

be on tour outside 8 km from his Head Quarters for 15 days in a month and should spend at

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least 6 hours outside Head Quarters on each day. If this minimum tour is not performed,

PTA will be reduced proportionately. Ordinarily PTA cannot be drawn during leave,

temporary transfer or joining time and along with any other TA. (R 6 to 8, 53 & 54 PII)

Permanent conveyance Allowance: This is also a fixed monthly allowance granted to an

officer for traveling extensively within Head Quarters. PCA can be drawn in addition to other

forms of TA. But it cannot be drawn during leave or temporary transfer or on holidays

prefixed or suffixed to leave or joining time. (R 9 to 11 P II),

Mileage Allowance: This is an allowance calculated on the distance traveled, which is

granted to meet the cost of a particular journey. Rate of mileage in respect of different

journeys (Rail, Road, Air, and Water) is varied (See parts V & VI of this note)

(R.12 to 36 P II KSRs).

Daily Allowance: This is a uniform allowance for each day of absence from Head Quarter,

which is intended to cover the ordinary charges incurred by an officer in consequence of

such absence. (R 37 to 40 P II KSRs).

Actual Expense: This is the actual cost or part of the actual cost of TA, where no means of

conveyance by on at the expense of the Government, or to be drawn as TA, is permissible.

(R 41 Part II KSRs)

IV Important Points on Tour TA (R 12 to 52, 55to 64 and 100 to 110)

The following are the main points to be borne in mind while calculating Tour Travelling

Allowance.

1) The Head Quarter of an officer shall be in such a place as the Government may

prescribe (R.46)

2) The Government may define the limits of the sphere of duty of any officer (R.47)

3) An officer is on tour when absent on duty from his HQ either within or beyond his

sphere of duty as permitted. (R 48)

4) The TA drawn by an officer on tour ordinarily takes the shape of either PTA or Daily

Allowance, if either of these is admissible to him. (R 52)

5) Minimum TA admissible is one DA, when an officer goes out side his Head Quarters

on tour except in cases where means of locomotion is supplied (R 55). It cannot be

drawn for any day in which a Government servant does not go outside a radius of 8

kms from the duty point or his HQ or return to it from a similar point. (R 57)

6) For Journeys within a radius of 8 km from HQ, an officer not in receipt of conveyance

allowance can be given the actual hiring charge of conveyance. (R 64 & notes)

7) In respect of journeys involving an overnight halt at an intermediate station either due

to non-availability of connecting service or due to the cancellation of connecting air

service, half daily allowance will be allowed at the rate applicable to the intermediate

station for each night halt. (Note 4 under R 58), when no facility is provided by the

Indian Airlines.

8) When two journeys are performed within a period of 24 hours, the period of absence

from HQ will be treated as one day irrespective of the fact that the journey was

performed on two calendar days, and Daily Allowance is granted accordingly. (R.56)

9) DA for journey and DA for halt will not be allowed on the same day (within 24 hours).

An officer performing journey up to 32 km on a day can draw only DA and he cannot

exchange this DA for mileage.(R.62 (a)(iii).

10) When journey is performed for more than 32 km and the mileage calculated comes to

less than the amount of one DA, the DA of the officer can be exchanged for mileage.

(R 55 & G.D. (ii), to R 63)

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11) The DA admissible for halt at an out station and DA/MA admissible for the journey

should be calculated separately, irrespective of whether the halt is preceded or

followed by a journey which qualifies for daily/mileage allowance. (GD (i) to R 63)

12) If the officer on tour returns to the first out station on the same day, DA can be

exchanged for mileage allowance. In such cases, no DA in addition is admissible. (R

63)

13) When Government vehicle is provided, no mileage allowance will be allowed; only

incidental expenses subject to a minimum of half DA.(Note (5) R 31, (R 107 and 110

P II).

14) Fraction of one rupee, ie, 50 paise or more, shall be rounded to one rupee.

15) In the case of long journey, an intermediate halt can be allowed after completing 200

km of distance. If such journey is late in the night such intermediate halt can be

availed before completing 200 km. No DA is allowed for such halt. (GD 1 to R 31)

16) Half DA is allowed for intermediate halt after completing 200 km in departmental

vehicle.(GD 3 to R 31)

17) If journey is performed partly by Air or rail and partly by road, the mileage for road

portion of not more than 32 km of distance, shall not be in excess of one DA.

(R 32(to).

18) Journey for a distance within 50 kms shall be commenced on the date of official duty,

and the return journey shall also be on the day on which the duty is over. (note 2 to R

14)

19) Time limit for claiming TA is 2 years. (25 A).

20) Arrear claims shall not be allowed on revision of scale of pay, retrospective promotion,

confirmation etc. But it will be admissible on belated increment in the usual course or

on pay slip. (GD 1 to 3 to R 4)

21) Officers who are eligible for I class accommodation will be entitled to travel in second

AC coaches. Grade II (b) officers will be entitled to third AC only, and if there is no

such facility, second AC will be allowed. G.O.(p) 1225/2000/Fin dated 17/10/2000.

22) Grade I officers traveling to metropolitan cities and other large cities will be allowed to

hire taxi cars for the day. (GO (p) 707/95 Fin dated 25/10/1995)

23) Reservation charges paid for railway journeys in respect of the appropriate classes of

accommodation will be reimbursed forming part of the fare in cases where reservation

is actually required in exigencies of public service. (GD 2 under R 20)

24) Auto rickshaw/taxi charges at the rate admissible will be reimbursed for the journey

from residence or office to Airport/Railway station/Bus station and back, subject to a

maximum distance of 8 km each way. Only Grade I officers are eligible for taxi

charge. (Note 3 to R 14)

V. TOUR TA - DATA

a) For the calculation of Travelling Allowance, offices are classified into four as follows,

as per GO(P) No.85/2011/Fin dated 26.02.2011 (w.e.f 1.02.2011).

Grade I : Officers with actual pay of Rs. 25280 and above, and Heads of

Departments, All India Service Officers, Private Secretaries to Ministers

and speaker, irrespective of the amount of pay drawn by them.

Grade II(a) : Officers with actual pay of Rs. 21240 and above, but below Rs. 25,280.

Grade II(b) : Officers with actual pay of Rs. 13900 and above, but below Rs. 21240.

(NGOs except Last Grade, when they accompany the Governor, Advisors

or ministers on tour will be treated as Grade II (b) irrespective of their pay).

Grade III : Officers with actual pay of Rs. 8960 and above, but below Rs. 13900.

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Grade IV : Officers with actual pay below Rs. 8960.

(pay includes basic pay, dearness pay, Personal pay and special pay in lieu

of higher scale of pay).

b) Halt how to reckon for Daily Allowance.

1. Up to 6 hours : No DA

2. Above six hours up to 12 hours : Half DA

3. Above 12 hours up to 24 hours : Full DA

4. Halt exceeding 24 hours : apply principals 1 to 3 above

5. Halt constructively in camp on holidays : DA admissible

6. Halt in camp on holidays; but no work : No DA

7. When free boarding & lodging are allowed : 1/4DA

8. When free lodging alone is allowed : 2/3 DA

9. When free boarding alone is allowed : 1/2 DA

c) For hilly tract

Class I hilly tract : 25 % of TA & DA in addition

Class II hilly tract : 121⁄2 % of TA & DA in addition

Note 1: maximum period of halt for DA is 3 months: i.e., DA at full rate for the first 10 days,

at 3/4 rate for the next 20 days and at 1/2 rate for the remaining 60 days.

Note 2 : Officers deputed for training to Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Kozhikode and

outside the State of Kerala shall be paid Daily Allowance at full rate for the first 30 days and

at 3⁄4 rate for the remaining 60 days.

d) Rate of Daily Allowance (w.e.f. 01-02-2011)

Grade of officers Inside State Outside State

Grade I Rs. 250 Rs.350

Grade II (a) Rs. 200 Rs.250

Grade II (b) Rs. 200 Rs.225

Grade III Rs. 150 Rs.175

Grade IV Rs. 150 Rs.175

(Rules for DA: 37 to 40, 56&57 P II KSRs).

e) Rail mileage (w.e.f. 01-02-2011)

Grade I : II AC + incidental expenses @50 paise per km subject to a

minimum of 1/2 DA.

Grade II (a): I class (if train doesn't have I class, II AC) +incidental expenses @40

paise per km subject to a minimum of 1/2 DA

Grade II (b): III AC (if train doesn't have III AC, I class)+ incidental expenses @ 35

paise per km subject to a minimum of 1/2 DA.

Grade III : II class fare + incidental expenses @ 30 paise per km subject to a

minimum of 1/2 DA.

Grade IV : II class fare + incidental expenses @ 30 paise per km subject to a

minimum of 1/2 DA.

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f) Road mileage (w.e.f. 01-02-2011)

From 01/2/11, road mileage is fixed @ Rs.1.50 per km for all categories of employee

which includes incidental expenses.

Grade I and Grade II Officers are eligible to travel by Express buses and Grade III &

IV officers by Fast Passenger Buses. If they actually perform journeys in such public

conveyances, they are eligible to bus fare + incidental expenses as admissible for rail

journey.

g) For air journey

Heads of Departments, Private Secretary to Ministers and All India Service officers

irrespective of their pay scale and officers in the pay scale of Rs. 29180-43640 and

above will be eligible for air journey. For the Air journey, fare +incidental expenses

(amount of one Daily Allowance) is admissible for each journey; but it should not

exceed the economy class full fare through national airlines. Thus, if a person travels

on economy class full fare, he will not be entitled to the incidental expenses. GO(p)

No.296/07/Fin dated 10-07-2007.

VI Transfer TA Rules (R. 65 to 67 P II)

A. General

1. A transfer should involve a change of station. (The distance between the two

places should be 8 km or more).

2. The transfer should be in the interest of public service. (No TA, for transfer ‘on

request’. But, if the transfer ‘on request’ is after completion of one full year, excluding

period of leave, at a station, T.A. is allowed.) GO (p) 480/89/Fin dated 01/11/1989

3. The Distance for the calculation of transfer TA should be the distance from old

residence to the new residence (R 15 part II). It may be noted that a Government

servant should reside within 15 km of radius from his Head Quarters.

4. When a Government servant holding substantive post, is appointed to another post as

per the advice of PSC, TA is admissible as on transfer.(note 1 to R 65).

5. For temporary transfer (for a period not more than two months), no transfer T.A. is

admissible. T.A. & D.A. as on tour is admissible. But, when the period is further

prolonged, transfer TA shall be granted. But, no refund is necessary if the amount of

tour TA already received is larger. (Note 2 to R 65).

6. ‘Family’ for the purpose of Transfer TA includes only wife, husband (if residing with

and wholly dependent on wife), children and stepchildren residing with and wholly

dependent on the officer. Father, Mother, Brother, Sister, Servants etc are not

considered as family members for this purpose. (R. 67 (i). Part II)

7. A family member who follows the officer within 6 months from the date of taking over

charge of the officer in the new station, and who precedes the officer not more than

one month of the transfer (handing over charge at the old station) will be eligible for

transfer T.A. (R 67 (le)(iii) part II).

8. TA to family member who travels from another place will also be admissible up to the

distance traveled by the officer. (R 67 (le)(iii) P Ii).

B. For rail journey

Grade I : II AC fare + 3 times incidental expenses subject to a

minimum of 11⁄2 DAs.

Grade II (a) : I class fare+3 times incidental expenses subject to a

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minimum of 11⁄2 DAs.

Grade II (b) : III AC fare+3 times incidental expenses subject to a

minimum of 11⁄2 DAs.

Grade III & IV : II class fare+3 times incidental expenses subject to a

minimum of 11⁄2 DAs

For family members : Only fare to the class of accommodation as admissible to

the officer.

No incidental expenses.

Note: ‘Adult member’ means one who is 12 years of age and above.

‘Child’ means one who is 5 years of age and above, but below 12 years of age. ‘Family’

includes wife/husband, children and step children residing with and wholly dependent on

the officer.

C. For Personal effect.

1. Those who are drawing actual : (i) Maximum weight-3000 kg

pay of Rs. 25280 and above (ii) Loading, unloading charges

Rs. 600 at each end.

2. Those who are drawing actual : (i) maximum weight –2000 kg

pay of Rs. 13900 and above but (ii)Loading, unloading charges

below Rs.25280 Rs. 300 at each end.

(c) All others : (i) Maximum weight-1000 kg

(ii)Loading, unloading charges

Rs. 250 at each end.

D. By road

1. For the officer : Twice the normal rate of mileage (with incidental expenses)

2. For the family : (i) for one member-nil

(ii) for 2 members irrespective of age limit-one mileage

(iii) for more than 2 members : 2 mileages

3. For Personal effect :Thrice the mileage as admissible to the officer.

VII TA for other journeys

1. To attend an examination. (R. 77 to 79)

TA as on tour is allowed for onward and return journey to attend an obligatory

departmental examination. But, no DA is allowed. TA for this purpose shall not be allowed

for more than two times.

2. To teachers deputed for training (note to R.84)

Teachers deputed for training from departmental schools are entitled to TA under

the ordinary rules, for their journey to and from the Training School or College.

3. To an officer under suspension (R. 85 & 86)

An officer, under suspension is eligible for TA to attend departmental enquiry and

back. But, no TA will be admissible, if the enquiry is held at an outstation at his own

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request. A retired officer, when called for giving evidence on a departmental disciplinary

case initiated against him on a charge while in service, is entitled to TA as on Tour.

4. For journeys during the course of training (R 97 & 98)

When an officer or student not already in Government Service is selected to

undergo a course of training, TA is allowed for the original journey to and the last journey

from the place of training, and DA for halts at such place.

5. To the family of an officer who dies while in service (R.99)

If, an officer dies while in service, members of his family will be granted TA for the

journey to his home or to any other place where the family may wish to reside, whether it is

inside or outside the state, either from the place of his death or from his headquarters,

provided the amount shall not exceed what would be admissible for a journey from the

officers HQ to his home. TA should be claimed within three months of the death of the

officer and at the rate as on transfer.

6. On retirement to the place of Residence (R.99 A)

TA As on transfer is allowed to an officer on his retirement, for journey to the place

of residence, inside or outside the state, where he proposes to settle down after retirement.

This TA should be claimed within one year of retirement.

7. To attend Staff Council. (note 3 to R.42)

The officers who are members of the staff council are eligible for TA as on tour to

participate in the council meeting.

8. Leave Travel Concession

As per para 38 of 9th Pay Revision Order a Leave Travel Concession is allowed to

those employees who have 15 years of age, to travel to any place in the country, subject to

a maximum of 2400 km, to and fro, along with their family once in their service.

[Prepared by K Natesan Asary, Guest Resource Person, IMG]