RBE No. 163/1999: House Rent Allowance (HRA) – Admissibility in the Event of Non-acceptance

No.E(P&A)II-99/HRA-2, dated 12.07.1999

Sub: Admissibility of House Rent Allowance in the event of non acceptance for surrender of railway residential accommodation.
Ref: Board’s letters No.E(P&A)II-87/HRA-15, dated 16.05.1988 (RBE No. 98/1988), and No.E(P&A)II-95/HRA/3, dated 14.02.1996 (RBE No. 12/1996)

1. In terms of the instructions contained in Board’s letter No.PC-67/JCM-2, dated 10.07.1967, and as modified/ clarified from time to time, Railway employees who are eligible for Railway accommodation and (i) who do not submit applications for such accommodation; or (ii) who, after submitting applications for such accommodation, refused to accept accommodation when offered/ allotted; or (iii) who, after having accepted such accommodation, surrender it, may be paid House Rent Allowance, if otherwise admissible, on fulfillment of the prescribed conditions. Powers to issue sanction for eligibility to House Rent Allowance in such type of cases were delegated to the General Managers and other Heads of Organisations, directly controlling allotment of quarters to Railway employees, to be exercised personally by them in consultation with the Associate Finance vide Board’s letter dated 16.05.1988 (RBE No. 98/1988) ibid. This concession is, however, not admissible to employees for whom Railway accommodation is specifically earmarked or to those employees, whose occupation of Railway quarter is essential for easy accessibility during emergencies, efficient discharge of their duties etc.
2. In the PNM/NFIR meeting held on 20 & 21.04.1999, the Federation raised a demand vide item No.21/1999 to delegate powers to the Unit level (i.e. Division/ Workshops) to sanction House Rent Allowance to Railway employees, in the event of surrender of Railway residential accommodation. During discussions on the item, they further demanded that the condition of annual review by the General Managers/ Heads of Organisations in the matter may be dispensed with.
3. The above demand has been carefully considered by the Board and it has been decided that the sanction for eligibility to House Rent Allowance in the type of cases mentioned in para 1 above, may be issued by such of the Divisional Railway Managers/ Chief Workshop Managers in-charge of workshop as are controlling housing pools. These powers are to be exercised personally by the Divisional Railway Managers/ Chief Workshop Managers, in consultation with Associate Finance and are not to be re-delegated.
4. It has also been decided that the stipulation of review of availability of railway accommodation and issue of local sanction on year-to-year basis by the General Managers/ Heads of Organisations directly controlling allotment of quarters to Railway employees, envisaged in para 5 of Board’s letter dated 16.05.1988 (RBE No. 98/1988) ibid, shall stand withdrawn with immediate effect.
5. In case at any point of time it transpires that some accommodation is likely to remain vacant/ un-occupied due to lack of demand, it should be made compulsory to submit applications for such types where there is surplus accommodation, and consequently, the employees entitled for such types would not be eligible to draw House Rent Allowance.
6. This delegation of powers will be valid upto 31.03.2002 where after the question of renewing the delegation will be considered by the Board and a fresh sanction, if necessary, issued on the basis of reports received from the Divisional Railway managers/ Chief Workshop Managers in-charge of workshops, who directly control allotment of quarters to Railway employees.
7. This delegation is also subject to the overriding condition that these orders are liable to be withdrawn/ modified at any time during the period, if it is considered necessary by the Board to do so.
8. This has the approval of the President and issues with the concurrence of the Finance Directorate of the Ministry of Railways.

Download Railway Board Circular RBE No. 163/1999

Forward reference ⇒ RBE No. 46/2000, RBE No. 78/2003, RBE No.176/2010,