House Rent Allowance: RBE No.98/1988 – Admissibility of HRA in Event of Non-acceptance

No.E(P&A)II-87/HRA-15, dated 16.05.1988

Sub: Admissibility of House Rent Allowance in the event of non acceptance for surrender of railway residential accommodation.

1. In terms of instructions contained in this Ministry’s letter No.PC-67/JCM-2, dated 10.07.1967, in supersession of provisions contained in Rule 416(1), 417(1)(c) and 417(2) – R.I (1971 Edition) it was decided that railway servants who are eligible for railway accommodation and (i) who do not submit application for such accommodation; or (ii) who, after submitting applications for such accommodation, refuse 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, provided that:-

(a) Those referred to in (ii) and (iii) above will not be considered again for allotment of railway accommodation for a period of one year from the date of such refusal or surrender; and
(b) The number of units available for allotment does not exceed the number of eligible employees, and there is no prospect of any residential unit remaining vacant as a result of such refusal, surrender or non-application for accommodation.

2. The above concession will not be admissible to employees for whom railway accommodation is specifically earmarked or to employees, whose occupation of railway quarters is essential for easy accessibility during emergencies, efficient discharge of their duties etc. In case of the latter, however, one employee may be allowed to surrender this allotment in favour of another employee in the same category, provided it will not affect the efficient working during emergencies.
3. It was further clarified in this Ministry’s letter No.PC-67/JCM-2, dated 29.08.1968 that in the case of surrender of accommodation, house rent allowance, if otherwise admissible, will be payable from the date it is certified by the accommodation controlling authority that no accommodation in the entitled class is available for allotment.
4. The Ministry of Railways have been renewing the sanction for eligibility to house rent allowance in such cases periodically on a year-to-year basis. In the context of a demand made in the PNM/NFIR meeting held in the Board’s office in December, 1987, the Ministry of Railways have considered the question whether powers could be delegated to the General Managers etc. to renew the sanction on an annual basis, subject to the Ministry of Railways reviewing the overall policy at specified intervals.
5. The Ministry of Railways have decided that the sanction for eligibility to house rent allowance in the types of cases referred to above, may be issued by the General Managers and other Heads of organisations, who directly control allotment of quarters to railway servants, to be effective for a period of one year at a time, from the 1st April, 1988 onwards. The conditions prescribed for sanction of house rent allowance in these cases, as stipulated above, will remain unchanged. The General Managers, etc. should review the availability of railway accommodation within their control annually and issue a local sanction on a year-to-year basis. The power should be exercised personally by the General Managers/ Heads of Organisations, in consultation with the associated Finance and should not be re-delegated.
6. In case after issue of orders, it transpires that some accommodation is likely to remain vacant/ un-occupied due to lack of demand, the orders should be reviewed and 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.
7. This delegation of powers will be valid upto 31st March, 1995, whereafter a 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 General Managers and other heads of organisations directly controlling allotment of quarters, in regard to the position of availability of railway accommodation and their control.
8. 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 Ministry of Railways to do so.
9. A sanction has been issued under this Ministry’s letter of even number dated 30.12.1987 (RBE No. 318/1987) for the period up to 31.12.1987. This sanction is hereby renewed for the period upto 31st March, 1988 where after the periodical review of sanctions will be regulated by the General Managers under these powers delegated to them.
10. 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. 98/1988

Forward reference ⇒ RBE No. 163/1999, RBE No. 46/2000, RBE No. 78/2003, RBE No.176/2010, RBE No. 23/2017