Under the revised Railway Board instructions issued on February 18, 2026, General Managers (GMs) of Zonal Railways now hold the full authority to sanction air travel for Group ‘C’ staff in cases of urgency or specific official exigencies. This decision decentralizes the approval process, removing the need to route files to the Railway Board for specific case-by-case permissions, thereby speeding up deployment for emergency repairs and critical duties.
GM Powers Expanded for Air Travel Sanction 2026
The Railway Board has amended the Model Schedule of Powers (SOP), specifically empowering General Managers to permit air travel for non-gazetted staff. Previously, this power was highly restricted, often requiring Finance concurrence at the Board level for Group ‘C’ employees, who are technically entitled only to AC-II or AC-III Tier by train.
In practice, proposals for air travel for Junior Engineers (JEs) or Section Engineers (SSEs) were often returned by the Associate Finance with the remark “Not Entitled.” With this delegation, the GM can override the entitlement status if the Head of Department (PHOD) certifies the urgency. This is a crucial shift for departments like Signalling and Track Maintenance where rapid movement is often required.
Conditions for Sanctioning Air Travel
The delegation is not a blanket permission for all Group ‘C’ staff to fly. The approving authority (GM) must be satisfied that the expenditure is justified based on the following criteria defined in the order.
| Condition | Requirement for Sanction |
|---|---|
| Urgency | Saving of travel time must be essential for duty. |
| Cost Benefit | Air fare should be comparable to Train Fare + DA saved (if applicable). |
| Route | Direct flight availability is preferred. |
| Booking Mode | Must be booked via Authorized Travel Agents (Balmer Lawrie, etc.). |
Financial Impact Calculation: Train vs Air
Employees must understand that while the ticket is paid, the Daily Allowance (DA) claim changes. When you travel by air, the journey time reduces drastically, which reduces the DA claiming period.
Example Scenario (SSE Level 7):
Train Journey (Delhi to Mumbai): 17 hours one way. Total claim involves full DA for transit days.
Air Journey (Delhi to Mumbai): 2 hours one way. Transit DA is often negligible or restricted to fractional days.
While the department bears the higher ticket cost (approx. ₹5,000 vs ₹2,500), the employee loses out on the “transit DA” financial gain. However, the relief from travel fatigue is the primary benefit here.
Exclusions and Edge Cases
This order creates confusion regarding Leave Travel Concession (LTC). It is vital to clarify where this power implies and where it does not.
Emergency Technical Duties
Escorting Cash/Sensitive Material
Attending Court Cases (Immediate Date)
LTC 80 Travel for Group C (Unless NER)
Personal Leave Travel
Routine Transfers
Accounts Warning: Accounts officers will reject the bill if the ticket is booked through private portals like MakeMyTrip or Paytm. Even with GM sanction, the booking must be done through the government-authorized window (BLCL/IRCTC) to be reimbursable.
Procedure for Approval
To avail of this, the Controlling Officer (JAG level and above) must move a proposal on the e-Office file. The note must explicitly mention “Urgency of Work” and “Delegation of Powers to GM 2026”. Once the GM approves physically or digitally, the sanction order must be attached to the TA bill.
Does this apply to LTC for Group C staff?
No. This order specifically relates to official duty. For LTC, Group C staff are still governed by the standard LTC 80 rules (entitled to train, unless traveling to North East/J&K/Andaman).
Can DRMs sanction air travel for Group C?
The current order specifies the General Manager (GM). However, GMs often have the power to re-delegate certain financial powers to Divisional Railway Managers (DRMs), but a specific re-delegation order would be required for the division.
Is there a cap on the air fare amount?
Yes. The booking must be made in Economy Class only. Dynamic pricing means tickets should be booked as early as the exigency allows to avoid audit objections regarding “exorbitant rates.”
हिंदी सारांश
रेलवे बोर्ड के 18 फरवरी 2026 के आदेश के तहत, अब जोनल रेलवे के महाप्रबंधक (GM) को ग्रुप ‘C’ कर्मचारियों के लिए हवाई यात्रा स्वीकृत करने का पूर्ण अधिकार मिल गया है। यह अनुमति केवल आधिकारिक कार्य, इमरजेंसी ड्यूटी या कोर्ट केस जैसी परिस्थितियों में ही दी जाएगी। यह सुविधा LTC या निजी यात्रा के लिए लागू नहीं है। टिकट केवल अधिकृत एजेंट (जैसे IRCTC या Balmer Lawrie) के माध्यम से ही बुक किया जाना चाहिए।
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