Empowered Committee to finalize a mechanism for a new formula for running allowance.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
(RAILWAY BOARD)
MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
(RAILWAY BOARD)
No.E(P&A)II-2013/RS-14 New Delhi, dated:
.6.2013.
2-7-2013
1.The General Secretary, 2.The General Secretary,
NFIR, AIRF,
3, Chelmsford Road, 4, State Entry Road,
New Delhi-110055. New Delhi – 110055
2-7-2013
1.The General Secretary, 2.The General Secretary,
NFIR, AIRF,
3, Chelmsford Road, 4, State Entry Road,
New Delhi-110055. New Delhi – 110055
Sub: Empowered Committee to finalize a mechanism for a new formula for running allowance.
Ref: (i) NFIR’s letter No. IV/RSAC/Conf./IV dt.
8.4.2013.
(ii) AIRF’s letter no. AIRF/Sub-Committee No. 143 (94) dt. 6.4.13
(ii) AIRF’s letter no. AIRF/Sub-Committee No. 143 (94) dt. 6.4.13
The issues raised by the federations in the letters
referred above, expressing concern on the formation of Empowered Committee on
the captioned subject without consulting the staff side, have been considered by
Board. At the outset Board would like to assure the Federations that the said
committee has the clear mandate for holding detailed consultations with the
federations and all the other stakeholders as well before firming up their
recommendations. It would be pertinent to mention in this context, and the
Federations would be well aware, that the scheme of Running Allowance for the
running staff of Indian Railways since its inception has been deliberated upon
by a number of committees in the past, and detailed and meaningful consultations
with staff side have been the essential feature of the recommendations of these
committees. The inherent purpose behind formation of this Committee is to devise
a workable solution to long pending issues of the Running staff which would be
both in the interest of the Running Staff as well the organization. Board would,
thus, like to reiterate that the apprehensions expressed by the staff side are
clearly misplaced.
2. Prior to implementation of VIth CPC, Kilometreage
Allowance was being paid to the Running Staff based on a formula devised by RAC
1980, which was arrived at after taking into account the views of all the
stakeholders duly taking into account the then scales of pay and allowances of
both running and non-running staff. VIth CPC brought in a radical change in the
pay structure of government employees. In line with the general principle of
de-layering adopted by the Commission, number of pay scales were amalgamated
into fewer pay bands. The new pay structure rendered the 1980 formula unfeasible
and thus arose a need for a new formula. As the Federations would be well aware,
Board then constituted a Joint Committee for devising a new formula and
determination of the quantum of pay element. Since the said Committee instead,
merely doubled the running allowance, like other allowances, and subsequent
developments of increasing the running allowance by 25%, number of issues were
left unaddressed. For instance, in the absence of a formula-based running
allowance, the demand for revision from the date of the pay commission could not
be addressed. Taking all these factors into account including the pressing need
for a dynamic formula, as was existing earlier with good results for all the
stakeholders, Board decided to constitute this Committee.
3. As regards the request to dissolve the Empowered
Committee, it is stated that the Indian Railways has an evolved system of
finding solutions to various contentious issues that it is faced with, in
consultation with all the stakeholders. It would thus not be fair to stall such
a system as demanded. The process of consultations with all the stakeholders,
which could not happen earlier due to the elections for recognition of
Federations in April, would soon commence, and the representatives of the staff
side would be welcomed for offering their views, so that the organizational
interests in general and those of the Running Staff in particular, are well
served.
sd/-
For Secretary/Railway Board.
For Secretary/Railway Board.
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