Railways – Modification in existing policies on retention of railway quarter RBE No 87-2024

Railways – Modification in existing policies on retention of railway quarter RBE No 87-2024

RBE No. 087/2024

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
RAILWAY BOARD

No. E(G) 2024 QR 1-3

New Delhi, dated 09.09.2024

The General Manager/Director General/MDs/CMDs, All Indian Railways/PUs/RDSO/CTIs,
All Railway PSUs/JVs
(As per Standard Mailing list)

Sub: Modification in Existing Policies on Retention of Railway Quarter

In exercise of powers vested in it to make reasonable relaxations in public interest for a class/group of employees in all or any of the provisions regarding house retention/allotment, Full Board have reviewed the existing policy guidelines in the meeting held on 27.08.2024 on `Retention’ of Railway quarter at previous place of posting on transfer/deputation etc and decided to formulate a consolidated policy by way of modification/withdrawal/continuation of the existing instructions issued in this regard. Accordingly, ‘in supersession of all existing instructions issued by any Directorate of Railway Board except provisions related to leased accommodation and rent chargeable and those which have been especially mentioned in these instructions’, the following shall be applicable from the date of issue of this letter.

1.Retention of quarter when transferred to Unpopular locations :- Railway employees transferred on administrative grounds from ‘other than X class cities’ to unpopular locations shall be allowed to retain their Railway accommodation at previous place of posting till their tenure in unpopular location. However, Railway employees transferred on administrative grounds from ‘X’ class cities i.e. Delhi (UA), Greater Mumbai (UA), Kolkata (UA), Chennai (UA), Hyderabad (UA), B.engaluru (UA), Ahmedabad (UA) and Pune (UA) (as listed vide DoE’s OM No. 2/5/2014-E.II(B) dated 21.07.2015) to unpopular locations shall be allowed to retain their Railway accommodation at previous place of posting subject to following stipulations:-

(a) Children are in class 6th to post graduation level (only 1st UG & 1st PG of each child) from govt. recognised school/institute/university in same city,
or,
(b) Spouse is working as .permanent employee in Central/State Govt. organisations including Railway/Non-Railway PSUs in same city.

Note:-

• Course must be regular one, not the distance learning/online/evening classes/part time etc. Further, if regular hostel facility is availed by child, retention is not permitted.
• Besides this, retention will not be permitted when transferred within Division. o These unpopular locations will be idented and reviewed by Railway Board from time to time.
• This will supersede the extant policy guidelines issued vide Board’s letter No. E(G) 2024 RN 2-3 dated 10.05.2024 and E(G) 2012 QR 1-15 dated 18.12.2023. However, the presently retained quarter shall be allowed to be retained till permitted period. Lists of unpopular locations are placed at Annexure-A (I to V).

2. Preferential allotment after relieving from Unpopular locations:-

• Employee will be allotted quarter preferentially within 6 months at new place of posting if he/she has completed 2 years (in continuous spells) at unpopular location(s) just before joining at new place of posting. If quarter is not allotted within 6 months, it shall be done on out-of-turn basis.
• Preferential quarter allotment at new place of posting shall be applicable only after completion of initial 8 years of service (including probation) at the time of relieving from unpopular location.
• After relieving from unpopular location, preferential allotment of quarter at new place of posting shall be done even if quarter was retained at the-previous place of posting during tenure at unpopular location.
• Preference will be given to the officer who had not retained quarter during tenure at unpopular location, over the officer who retained the quarter.
• These out-of-turn or preferentially allotted quarters will not be counted in the quota of GM/competent authorities’ out-of-turn quarter allotment.
• Officers/staff up to SA Grade, will be allotted quarter type of their entitlement. However, officers above SA Grade may be allotted Type-V or Type-VI quarter, depending upon availability.
• If officer/staff is transferred 1st from Unpopular location ‘A’ to location ‘B’ and before allotment of quarter at location ‘B’, again he/she is transferred to location ‘C’, he/she will be eligible for Preferential Allotment of quarter at location ‘C’, provided he/she was eligible for Preferential Allotment at location ‘W. However, there will be Notice period of minimum 30 days for vacation of quarter at location 13’.

3. Retention/allotment of quarter when posted in identified ‘Difficult Projects’:-

Railway officers/staff posted at difficult project or nearby area (around 50 km) of the project shall be eligible for the following:-
(a) Retention permitted at previous place of posting till completion of Project or complete tenure,
or,
(b) Allotment of quarter at concerned Project HQ, or,
(c) Allotment of quarter at any place having Zonal/Divisional HQ over IR with no preference i.e. as per waiting list.

Note:-

• For allotment of quarter at a place where both Zonal and Divisional HQ exist, he/she will be allotted quarter from Zonal HQ.
• Preferential allotment of quarter shall be done after completion of tenure as applicable for Unpopular location posting.
• List of difficult projects is placed at Annexure-A (VI)

4. Retention of Railway quarter when posted as DRNIs:- DRMs shall be permitted to retain their Railway accommodation at previous place of posting subject to following stipulations:-

(a) Children are in class 6th to post graduation (only 1St UG & 1St PG of each child) from govt. recognised school/institute/university in same city,
or,
(b) Spouse is working as permanent employee in Central/State Govt. organisations including Railway/Non-Railway PSUs in same city.

Note:-

• Course must be regular one, not the distance learning/online/evening classes/part time etc. Further, if regular hostel facility is availed by child, retention is not permitted.
• On completion of DRM’s tenure, if the officer is not posted back to the Railway/Unit where he/she has retained his/her house, he/she will be placed in the priority just below the PHODs/CHODs for house allotment as per type of house entitled for their grade. However, this will not entitle them for preferential change in house already retained as the elevated priority is only applicable in cases where they go to a Railway/Unit where they have not retained their house.
• If the retention was permitted to DRM on above grounds, the retention shall remain for the complete tenure.
• However, the presently retained quarter shall be allowed to be retained till completion of tenure of the occupant.

5. Retention of Railway quarter on Permanent Transfer:- A Railway employee on transfer from one station to another which necessitates change of residence is allowed to retain his/her Railway quarter at previous place of posting for 08 (02+06) months. The retention may be extended in the spells of 03 months, if employee has not been allotted quarter at new place of posting and there is no waiting list at old place of posting. However there will be notice period of minimum 30 days for vacation of quarter, which will be applicable for retention in extended period (i.e. beyond 02+06 months). However, if superannuation of Railway employee is due in one year on the date of issuance of transfer order, retention shall be allowed till retirement and beyond as per rules.

Further extension beyond the aforesaid period i.e. 08 (02 + 06) months may be granted on educational ground only as mentioned below:

• Retention of Railway quarter will be allowed for current academic session + 30 days. However, if child is appearing in Class 12th, then retention will be allowed up to 30th September.
• If the child is in 9th to 12th standard; then retention of quarter is allowed up to 12th Std.

Note: Current Academic Session refers to annual academic course ending with annual examination or last paper of annual examination and not till the results thereof are announced.

6. Retention of Railway quarter on deputation to Central Ministries/Department under Central Staffing Scheme and to other organizations eligible for allotment of accommodation under GPRA:- Railway officers/staff proceeding on deputation to other Central Government Ministries under the Central Staffing Scheme may be allowed retention of Railway houses subject to the following:

(a) Railway employees must apply for the General pool Accommodation for the level of entitlement plus one level below within fifteen days of his/her joining the new post under Central Staffing Scheme.
(b) The retention of existing Railway accommodation shall be permitted till the first house is allotted to him/her from the General pool either of the type he/she is entitled to or one level below irrespective of its location, The retention of existing accommodation shall be permitted till the time a person junior in the waiting list for the General Pool accommodation gets an accommodation allotted in the normal course; whichever is earlier.

Note:-

(i) All the officers who are presently on deputation under Central Staffing Scheme, Govt. bodies like UPSC, CVC etc and the Central Govt. Statutory/Autonomous bodies eligible for allotment of General Pool Accommodation may be advised to give details about their registration with the Directorate of Estates and in case any of the officer has restricted the location for allotment, he/she should immediately be directed to get himself/herself registered, removing the restriction of location, with the Directorate of Estates with 15 days and furnish proof of such registration to the Railway Administration.
(ii) Officers who would be proceeding on such deputation should be directed to register themselves for allotment of accommodation from General Pool with Directorate of Estates strictly in terms of instructions mentioned in para-6 above and furnish the details of such registration to the quarter controlling authority of the Railway concerned. The quarter controlling authority would verify from the details that the registration has been made as per Railway Board’s instructions without putting any restriction on the location of allotment. If this requirement is not complied with within 15 days of proceeding on deputation, the officer will not be entitled for retention of Railway accommodation.
(iii) Similarly, the deputationist officer should accept any offer of allotment being made to him/her by Directorate of Estates irrespective of the location and also intimate the same to the Railway Quarter Controlling Authority immediately.
(iv) The retention of Railway accommodation would be permissible only if the conditions contained in para-6 above are strictly complied with. The conditions regarding retention of Railway accommodation should also be mentioned in the relevant order of deputation issued to the Railway officers and subsequently incorporated in the terms and conditions of deputation.