RBE No. 101/1994: Appointment on Compassionate Grounds

No.E(NG)II/92RC-1/112, dated 22.11.1994
(SC No.13 to MC No.16)

Sub: Appointment on compassionate grounds.

1. The Railway Convention Committee in their Seventh Report (1991) on Staff Welfare and Industrial Relations in Railways has made the following observations:-

(i) As many as 7700 cases of compassionate appointments were pending as on 31.03.1993. The candidate has to appear before the authorities a number of times before actual offer of appointment. Proper guidance may be given to the candidate in this regard. The Zonal authorities should also print a check list of all the documents required and a copy of the same should be handed over to the candidate.
(ii) The time limit for submitting application within one year of attaining majority by the candidate may be raised to at least three years. The Welfare Wing should maintain a register of all the deceased employees indicating the date on which the ward would attain the age of majority and immediately thereafter the widow would be informed that in case the application is not submitted within the prescribed time limit of one year, the same will be treated as time barred.

2. The above observations have been examined carefully by the Railway Board who have decided as under:-

(i) The Railway Administrations/ Production Units, etc. should ensure that proper guidance is given to the families/ applicants regarding the formalities to be completed for compassionate appointment.
(ii) (a) For the above, among other things, a brochure giving an outline of the procedure including a check list of all the documents to be attached to the application for compassionate appointment should be prepared by each Railway/ Production Unit, etc.

(b) A register should be maintained by the Welfare Wing in each Division/ Unit, etc., containing detailed particulars of the deceased employees including the date on which the children of the deceased would attain the age of majority, etc. One column in the register should invariably indicate the file number opened for the case.
(c) The Welfare Wing should intimate the widow/ the family enclosing a copy of the brochure as at (ii)(a) above and bringing out among other things that in case the appointment is sought for the son/ daughter who is minor at the time of death of the employee, application for appointment must be submitted immediately after the candidate attains the age of majority and, in any case, well within the prescribed time limit for submitting such application. (The present time limit of one year for submitting the application after attaining the age of majority is being raised to two years, separately).

3. As the Railway Administrations are aware, the very purpose of compassionate appointment is to provide immediate financial assistance to the bereaved family and if the offer of appointment is delayed, the object of the scheme is defeated. It is, therefore, necessary that concerted efforts should be made by the Administration to ensure that compassionate appointment cases are processed at the earliest so that eligible and suitable conditions get appointment early.
4. Board desire that the directives given in para 2 above may be followed scrupulously.

Download Railway Board Circular RBE No. 101/1994

Forward reference ⇒ RBE No.119/1996, RBE No.126/2002