How Should Employers Handle Personal Travel Expenses for Employees in Naxalite Areas?

Anyone, please guide me on employees' personal travel expenses in Naxalite areas (Gadchiroli) for those who reside at the plant and visit their families thrice a year. The trips are from Gadchiroli to Mumbai, Chennai, or Hyderabad. How much should we allow in terms of amount, and what type of fare should be provided - air, train, or road? Additionally, please advise if the employer has to cover the personal travel allowance expenses.

I don't think that any area has been marked as a 'Naxalite area.' If you are sending a person to such an area where nobody has traveled, then you have to travel first and see what the cost will be incurred. When the employer or his representative has traveled and studied the cost of spending a few days in such areas, you can easily fix the daily allowance at those places.

Mode of Travel and Allowances

Regarding the mode of travel, the company may have policies depending on the category of employees. For example, certain categories of employees can avail of air travel, first-class train tickets, or second-class AC tickets, etc. The company should also provide information on the modes of local transportation from the airport or railway station to the station or camp office that the employee shall take. This could be a taxi, rickshaw, or any other mode.

Hi Kavya,

I am assuming you have a plant in Gadchiroli, which is a Naxal-prone area. Your post is not clear, but I assume the concerned employees stay in the plant colony for safety reasons. However, you are allowing them to travel home once a quarter to meet family.

Whether the cost is borne by the company or the employee depends on your policy and terms of employment. If you want to attract people there, you should offer to pay for their travel home at regular intervals. What led you to allow this will depend on the level of the person, access to the airport and railway, and the safety concerns for the travel.

I hope you have taken adequate insurance cover for your employees.