The government has allowed its officials to take their companions on official international tours, reversing an order issued a year ago.

A notification to this effect was issued by the Finance Ministry in June. It reverses an order put out by the Department of Personnel (DoPT) in 2008, barring officials from using mileage points earned on official travel to be used for purchase of tickets for personal purposes.

The instruction on September 6, 2008, had said that the mileage points earned on account of travel for official tours/visits “shall not be used for purposes of private travel in the form of free companion tickets or other variations.” It had also said that “any action contrary to these instructions” will make a government servant liable for departmental action.

The memo issued in June 2009 says: “A review of these instructions was done with further consultations with the Ministry of Finance and it has been decided to modify the instructions... to the extent that government servants shall be allowed to avail the facility of free companion tickets offered by the airlines for international travel only.”

Even though the facility is available only on free companion tickets offered by airlines, the cost to the exchequer will be higher as such an option is mostly available on full-price tickets.