The matter has been reviewed by the Ministry of Railways in consultation with both the recognized Federation viz. AIRF and NFIR.  It has been decided that the currency of instructions contained in para 3 of their letter dated 14-02-1997 should be further extended upto 30-6-2004.
ACS No. 141 refers.

ACS No. 140 refers.

In the review meeting of the Steering Committee for the new Zonal Railways held on 22.10.2002, it was inter-alia decided that at least 20% of the non-gazetted staff should be transferred and posted on the new Zones by 31.12.2002. Necessary action should be taken accordingly.

The matter has been considered by the Ministry of Railways.  It has been decided that the service condition of 10 years in each relevant grade for promotion to the respective higher grades in pay scales Rs. 4000-6000 and Rs. 4500-7000 may be reduced to six years in each grade provided the employees concerned are judged by trade test/practical test and are found suitable otherwise. 

Accordingly, the Indian Railway Establishment Manual, Vol.I 1989 edition, may also be amended as per Advanced Correction Slip No. 142.

Grant of facilities to All India SC/ST Railway Employees Association and All India OBC Railway Employees Federation/Association. 

The All India SC/ST Railway Employees Association and All India OBC Railway Employees Federation/Association have been granted certain facilities from time to time in the past.  The question of further extension of facilities has been under consideration of Railway Board.  It has now been decided to grant the following additional facilities to all India SC/ST Railway Employees Association and All India OBC Railway Employees Federation/Association at Zonal, Divisional & extra Divisional and Branchlevels. 

(i)  Railway telephone in office. 

(ii) Allotment of Notice Board at a suitable place. 

(iii) Staying facilities which may include Railway Institutes, Community Centres, Marriage Halls, Rest Rooms, Rest Houses, Retiring Rooms etc. as per entitlement free of cost when they are called for official meetings with the administration.

Supersession of SC/ST candidates in promotion – submission / reporting of cases to Minister and other authorities – recommendation of the Commissioner for SC/ST in the 25^th Annual Report for the year 1977-78.

 As per the instructions contained in Board’s letter No. 82-E(SCT)15/104 dated 17.4.1982 Zonal Railways/Production Units are required to submit to different authorities those cases of eligible SC/ST candidates who, though available, are not selected against the reserved vacancies in promotions in all the groups as under: 

(i)  In Promotion to Group A and within Group A 

Such cases should be submitted to Board for further submission to MR/MSR/DMR concerned as the case may be. 

(ii)  In promotion to Group B and within Group B

Such case should be reported to Board for further information to MR/MSR/DMR concerned as the case may be within a period of one month of the finalization of the select list. 

(iii)  In promotion to and in Group C and D

Such case should reported to H.O.Ds, if the appointing authority is lower than that of the HOD and wherever the HOD is himself the competent authority, then to the GM. 

(iv) Cases in promotions by selection to posts within Group a which carry an ultimate salary of Rs. 8500/- (revised as per 5^th Pay Commission) p.m. or less, where eligible SC/ST candidates though available in the seniority list within the number of vacancies for which the select list is drawn, are not selected should be submitted to Board for further submission to MR/MSR/DMR concerned as the case may be. 

(v)  Wherever the SC/ST candidates become eligible for promotion against the unreserved vacancies by virtue of composite seniority and they are superseded by others, such cases should also be put up to the authorities as mentioned in the foregoing paras. 

(vi)   Such cases of SC/ST candidates in the scheme of promoting the best amongst the failed candidates on ad-hoc basis in non-safety category put up to the competent authorities through SPO(RP) for inclusion in the final panel at the end of six months, and if the competent authority decides for not including the SC/ST candidates in the final panel, then the papers should be put up to the authorities as mentioned in the foregoing paras for further review if the competent authority who decided for not including the name of SC/ST candidates in the final panel is lower than the authorities indicated in the foregoing paras. 

The papers in the above cases are required to be routed through SPO(RP)s on the Zonal Railways/Production Units and Additional Director, Estt.(Res.) now redesignated as Executive Director, Estt.(Res.) in Railway Board’s office. 

It is seen that none of the Railways/PUs except one is following these instructions as Board’s office is not receiving such cases. 

It is re-iterated that the extant instructions contained in Board’s letter under reference be strictly complied with.

Inclusion of a member of SC/ST in Area Housing Committee. 

It has been clarified that representatives of SC/ST employees should also be included in the housing allotment committee in all the places wherever it exists.  In order to clear the confusion, it is clarified that the member of SC/ST staff who is to be included in the Area Housing Committee should be the one who has been duly recommended by the SC/ST Railway Employees Association of the concerned Zone/Unit/Division etc. as the case may be.

Reservation in promotion to Senior Scale on ad-hoc basis. 

Recently in the meeting of Indian Railway Promotee Officers’ Federation (IRPOF) with Board held on 11.11.2002, it was demanded by the Secretary General/IRPOF that the existing instructions on the subject should be reiterated to all the Zonal Railways/Production Units for their information and strict compliance.  Accordingly, it is desired that whenever ad-hoc promotions are made on the basis of seniority-cum-suitability, the Board’s orders regarding reservation of vacancies to the extent prescribed in favour of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes may be strictly followed.

Issue of Identity Cards to Pensioners. 

Instructions have been issued vide Board’s letter of even number dated 31.01.2002, 26.9.2002 and  29.11.2002 regarding issue of Identity cards to pensioners in the prescribed format on payment of Rs. 10/- payable may be deposited by pensioners at the nearest Railway station/cash office under misc. receipt, and the receipt so received may be sent to respective office along with other documents for issuing the identity card.  It has, further, been prescribed that documents may be accepted without attestation, as the originals are already available with Railways in case of doubt for verification. 

Complaints continue to be received in Board’s office regarding non-issue/inordinate delay in issuing the identity cards to the Railway pensioners.  It is reiterated to all concerned that any delay in issuing the identity card/post-retirement complimentary pass to railway pensioners shall be viewed very seriously.  Sufficient blank formats for issue of identity cards may be made available to issuing unit to avoid any inconvenience to the pensioners.

Grant of Privilege passes/PTOs to dependent relatives – Raising the income ceiling. 

Consequent upon increase in Dearness Relief to pensioners/family pensioners, w.e.f. 1.7.2002 in terms of Board’s circular No. PC-V/97/I/9/6 dt. 27.11.2002 a dependent relative in relation to a Railway servant as described in Railway Servants (Pass) Rules, 1986, shall be deemed to be wholly dependent on the Railway servant only if his/her income w.e.f. 1.7.2002 including pension, dearness relief in terms of Board’s letter No. PC-V/97/I/9/6 dated 27.11.2002 does not exceed Rs. 2280/- p.m. i.e. Rs. 1500/- (pension/family pension) plus Rs. 780/- (dearness relief on Rs. 1500/-) or 15% of the pay of Railway servant, whichever is more. 

Validity of post-retirement complimentary passes over Konkan Railway." 

Instructions have been issued vide Board’s letter of even number dated 11.07.2002 allowing all privilege passes issued to railway employees being valid for journeys over KRC.  queries have been received whether all post-retirement complimentary passes would also be valid for journey over KRC.  In this connection it is clarified that all post-retirement complimentary passes issued to eligible Indian Railway personnel would be valid over KRC system also subject to the conditions laid down in Board’s letter of even number dated 11.1.1999.

Grant of honorarium for delivering lectures in Zonal Training Schools/Centres. 

Further to instructions contained in Board’s letter of even number dated 8/6/2000 it is clarified that the rates of honorarium prescribed therein for delivering lectures by visiting lecturers/faculty to Non-Gazetted staff are applicable to all “Zonal Training Schools/Centres”, “Main Training Centres” and “Other Training Centres” as mentioned in the Manual of Management of Training.

Surrender of surplus posts in Railways Workshops having CLW pattern incentive scheme. 

Reference this Ministry’s letter of even number dated 8/2/2002 on the above subject. 

The last sentence of item (3) of para 1 of the letter referred to above provides that “as and when the newly inducted staff become eligible for promotion, the posts will be restored to their original grade”.  Since promotions take place to higher grades/posts on occurrence of vacancies in such higher grades/posts, the matter has been reviewed by the Board and it has been decided that the last sentence of item (3) of opening para of the letter ibid should be deleted and hence this item (3) should be read as follows:- 

“(3) If recruitment subsequently becomes necessary in a cadre in which all posts in initial recruitment grade have already been surrendered, then the required number of higher grade posts will be downgraded and operated in the initial recruitment grade for induction of new staff.  In such a situation, the staff in initial recruitment grade, re-deployed elsewhere on being rendered surplus in Workshop, may also be allowed option to come back to the Workshop”

Imposition of penalty of reduction to a lower time scale of pay, grade, post or service for a specified period – Effect of penalty in the higher grade or post etc. on restoration of the railway servant to that higher grade or post on expiry of the penalty. 

It has been brought to the notice of the Board by the NFIR that while imposing the penalty of ‘reduction to a lower grade, post etc.,’ for a specified period, the authorities use the terms ‘cumulative or recurring effect’, to convey the effect of the penalty in the higher grade or post, on restoration of the railway servant to that higher grade or post, on expiry of the penalty. 

It has been alleged that in such cases the railway administration(s) also denies seniority in the higher grade or post in addition to the effect of the penalty on the future increments of the railway servant though the authority imposing the penalty has not given any specific direction that seniority shall also be affected on restoration of the railway servant to that higher grade or post after expiry of the penalty.  Attention in this servant to that higher grade or post after expiry of the penalty.  Attention in this connection has been drawn to the instructions contained in Board’s letter No. E(D&A)73 RG 6-5 dated 22.2.1974.  These instructions which were issued in pursuance to discussions in the forum of JCM/DC lay down that in cases where the penalty of reduction to a lower grade or post etc. is imposed for a specified period and the order does not specify whether it has effect on seniority and increments in the higher grade or post on restoration of the railway servant to that higher grade or post, it should be assumed that the order will not have the effect on seniority or increments. 

As the Railways are aware, in terms of Rule 6(vi) of RS (D&A) Rules, while imposing penalty of reduction to a lower grade or post etc., on a railway servant for a specified period, the authority imposing the penalty has also to pass directions regarding the effect of the penalty on the seniority and pay in the higher grade or post, on restoration of the railway servant to that higher grade or post after expiry of the penalty.  The directions on seniority and pay are two separate ones and have to be passed independent of each other.  For example, the authority imposing the penalty may order that the penalty will have the effect of postponing the future increments of pay of the railway servant in the higher grade or post on his restoration that higher grade or post but will not affect his seniority in the higher grade or post and vice versa.  Likewise, the authority imposing the penalty may order that the penalty will have effect on both the seniority and pay of the railway servant or that the penalty will have no effect either on seniority or pay of the railway servant in the higher grade or post on his restoration to the higher grade or post.  However, in each case these two directions should distinct and unambiguous.  Where the authority imposing the penalty has not passed any specific directions regarding seniority or pay or both, of the railway servant in the higher grade or post, it will be held that the penalty will have not effect on seniority or increments or both, as the case may be, in the higher grade or post on restoration of the railway servant to that higher grade or post as laid down in Board’s letter of 22.2.1974, referred to above.  In view of the above, the railway administrations should also discontinue the practice, if any, on their system of using the terms ‘cumulative or recurring’ effect in the orders imposing the penalty of reduction to lower grade or post for a specified period as these terms are liable to mis-interpretation by the authorities responsible for implementing these penalties.  The above position may please be brought to the notice of all concerned on your railway for information compliance.  Still, in spite of the position stated above, if any authority uses the term ‘cumulative or recurring effect’ while passing orders, the case may be resubmitted to the said authority advising him to pass fresh orders strictly in accordance with the provisions of Rule 6(vi) brought out above.