Conveyance Allowance: RBE No.234/1990 – Employees with Spinal Deformity
No.F(E)I/89/AL-7/6, dated 10.12.1990
Sub: Grant of Conveyance Allowance to the Railway employees suffering from spinal deformity (generally known as hunch back disability).
1. The demand of the staff side, raised in the 33rd Ordinary Meeting of the National Council (JCM), for the grant of Conveyance Allowance to Central Government employees suffering from spinal deformity has been considered by the Government and it has been decided, with the sanction of the President that such of the Railway employees borne on regular establishments (including work charged staff), suffering from the spinal deformity causing permanent partial disability of above 40%, estimated as per the standards laid down in the Annexure to this letter and certified by the Competent Authority as provided in Board’s letter No.F(E)I/78/AL-7/5, dated 31.10.1980 shall be granted the Conveyance Allowance for Orthopaecdically handicapped employees @ 5% of basic pay subject to a maximum of Rs.100 per month. However, the allowance will not be admissible during leave (except Casual Leave) Joining time or suspension.
2. The President is also pleased to authorize all General Managers other Heads of the Departments to sanction conveyance allowance in terms of these orders. The Railway employees concerned shall accordingly apply for the grant of conveyance allowance. It shall be the responsibility of the General Managers/ Other Heads of the Departments concerned to refer the cases of the concerned employees to the appropriate medical authorities for obtaining their recommendations for the grant of this allowance. This allowance may be granted with effect from the date the recommendations of the concerned medical authority is received by the Head of the Department. However, in the case of existing employees the allowance may be granted with effect from 1st August, 1989 or the date of appointment, whichever is later.
Annexure to Board’s letter No.F(E)I/89/AL-7/6, dated 10.12.1990
Guidelines for Evaluation of Permanent Physical Impairment of Trunk (Spine)
The local effects of lesions of spine can be divided into traumatic and non-traumatic lesions.
Traumatic Lesions:
| Cervical Spine Fracture | Percent Whole Body Permanent Physical Impairment and Loss of Physical Function to Whole Body | ||||
| A | Vertebral compression 25%, one or two vertebral adjacent bodies, no fragmentation, no involvement of posterior elements, no nerve root, involvement, moderate neck rigidity and persistent soreness. | 20 | |||
| B | Posterior element with X-ray evidence of moderate partial dislocation. | ||||
| (a) No nerve root involvement, healed | 15 | ||||
| (b) With persistent pain, with mild motor and sensory menifestations | 25 | ||||
| (c) With fusion healed, no permanent motor or sensory changes. | 20 | ||||
| C | Severe dislocation, fair to good reduction with surgical fusion | ||||
| (a) No residual motor or sensory changes. | 25 | ||||
| (b) Poor reduction with fusion, persistent redicular pain, motor involvement only slight weakness and numbness. | |||||
| (c) Same as (b) with partial paralysis, determine additional rating for loss of use of extremities and sphincters. | |||||
| Cervical Inter-vertebral Disc | |||||
| 1. Operative, successful removal of disc, with relief of acute pain, no fusion, no neurologic residual. | 10 | ||||
| 2. Same as (1) with neurological manifestation, persistent pain, numbness, weakness in fingers. | 20 | ||||
| Thoracic and Dorsolumbar Spine Fracture | Percent Whole Body Permanent Physical Impairment and loss of Physical Function to Whole Body. | ||||
| A | Compression 25%, involving one or two vertebral bodies, mild, no fragmentation, healed, no neurological manifestations. | 10 | |||
| B | Compression 50%, with involvement posterior elements, healed, no neurologic manifestations, persistent pain, fusion, indicated. | 20 | |||
| C | Same as (B) with fusion, pain only on heavy use of back. | 20 | |||
| D | Total paraplegia | 100 | |||
| E | Posterior elements, partial paralysis with or without fusion should be rated for loss of use of extremities and sphincters. | ||||
| Low Lumber | |||||
| 1 | Fracture | ||||
| A | Vertebral compression 25% one or two adjacement vertebral bodies, little or fragmentation, no definite pattern or neurologic changes. | 15 | |||
| B | Compression with fragmentation posterior elements, persistent pain, Weakness and stiffness, healed, no fusion, no lifting over 25 pounds. | 40 | |||
| C | Same as (B), healed with fusion, mild pain | 25 | |||
| D | Same as (B), nerve root involvement to lower extremities determine additional rating for loss or industrial function to extremities. | ||||
| E | Same as (C), with fragmentation of posterior elements, with persistent pain after fusion, no neurological findings. | ||||
| F | Same as (C), with nerve root involvement to lower extremities, rate with functional loss to extremities. | ||||
| G | Total paraplegia. | 100 | |||
| H | Posterior elements, partial paralysis with or without fusion, should be rated for loss of use of extremities and sphincters. | ||||
| 2 | Neurogenic Low Back Pain-Disc. Injury. | ||||
| A | Periodic acute episodes with acute pain and persistent body list, test, tests for sciatic pain positive, temporary recovery 5 to 8 weeks. | 5 | |||
| B | Surgical excision of disc, no fusion, good results, no persistent sciatic pain. | 10 | |||
| C | Surgical excision of disc, no fusion moderate persistent pain and stiffness aggravated by heavy lifting with necessary modification of activities. | 20 | |||
| D | Surgical excision of disc with fusion, activities of lifting moderately modified. | 15 | |||
| E | Surgical excision of disc with fusion, persistent pain and stiffness aggravated by heavy lifting, necessitating modification of all activities requiring heavy lifting. | 25 | |||
| Non-Traumatic Lesions | |||||
| Scoliosis | |||||
| The whole Spine has been given rating of 100% and region wise the following percentages are given: | |||||
| Dorsal Spine | 50% | ||||
| Lumbar Spine | 30% | ||||
| Cervical Spine | 20% | ||||
| Kobb’s method or measurement of angle of curve in standing position is to be used. The curves have been divided into three sub-groups. | |||||
| Cervical Spine | Thoracic Spine | Lumbar Spine | |||
| Less than 30% (Mild) | 2% | 5% | 3% | ||
| 31%-60% (Moderate) | 3% | 15% | 12% | ||
| Above 60% (Severe) | 5% | 25% | 33% | ||
In the curves ranging above 60%, cardio pulmonary complications are to be graded separately. The junctional curves are to be given that rating depending upon level of apex of curve. For example, if apex of dorso-lumbar curve falls in the dorsal spine the curve can be taken as a dorsal curve. When the scoliosis is adequately compensated, 5% reduction is to be given from final rating (for all assessment primary curves are considered for rating).
Kyphosis:
| The same total rating (100%) as that suggested for scoliosis is to be given for kyphosis. Region wise percentage of physical impairment are: | ||
| Dorsal | 50% | |
| Cervical Spine | 30% | |
| Lumbar Spine | 20% | |
| For dorsal spine the following further grading are: | ||
| Less than 20% | 10% | |
| 210 – 400 | 15% | |
| 410 – 600 | 20% | |
| Above 600 | 25% | |
| For kyphosis of lumbar and cervical spine 5% and 7% respectively have been allocated. | ||
| Paralysis of Flexors and Extensors of Dorsal and Lumbar Spine. | ||
| The motor power of these muscles to be grouped as follows: | ||
| Normal | – | |
| Weak | 5% | |
| Paralysed | 10% | |
| Paralysis of Muscles of Cervical Spine | ||
| For cervical spine the rating of motor power is as follows: | ||
| Flexors | ||
| Extensors | ||
| Rotators | ||
| Side bending | ||
| Miscellaneous | ||
| Those conditions of the spine which cause stiffness and pain etc., are rated as follows: | ||
| % Physical impairment | ||
| (A) Subjective symptoms of pain, No involuntary muscle spasm, Not substantiated by demonstrable structural pathology. | 0% | |
| (B) Pain, Persistent muscle spasm and stiffness or spine, substantiated by demonstrable mild radiological changes. | 10% | |
| (C) Same as B, with moderated radiological changes. | 15% | |
| (D) Same as B, with severe radiological changes involving and one of the region of spine (cervical, dorsal or lumber). | 20% | |
| (E) Same as D, involving whole spine. | 30% | |
In kypho-scoliosis, both curves to be assessed separately and then percentage of disability to be summed.
Download Railway Board Circular RBE No.234/1990
Forward reference ⇒ RBE No.125/2004,