Letter to Prime minister and MR for 16th program

TO 

The Prime Minister, 

Government of India.  152,South Block, 

Raisina Marg,  New Delhi.110011 

Through DRM 

Respected Sir, 

The All India Loco Running Staff Association, with utmost respect to your Honour, constrained to submit this representation on behalf of the Running Staff of Indian Railways (Loco Pilots &Guards), seeks your personal intervention in the matters of: 

1. Revision of kilo meter allowance rates to Running Staff as per RAC 1980 Formula, 

And 

2. Parity in Pension between the pre and post 01-01-2016 Running staff Pensioners/ Family pensioners, as per the policy decision of Government of India; 

as the efforts made by us with the ministry of railways have gone in vain, as the issues still remained unresolved, even after a lapse of several months of precious time, subjecting the Running Staff to severe hardship. 

1. Revision of kilometre Allowances rates: 

The decision to implement the 7thCPC recommendations on allowances, as accepted by the Government of India have been implemented in the case of all central Government employees including the Railway men. Whereas, the revision of running allowances rates and its implementation in the case of running staff has not been taken place even after a lapse of several long months of time, as the Ministry of Railways is sitting over this matter for no valid reason, resulting in 

deprival of Running staff of their 7thCPC benefits, in spite of the orders of Government of India to revise the rates and implement them. It is to be taken note of the fact that the Running Allowance is not merely an allowance, as it consists of two elements as one of it is being an element of pay and the other being an element of TA/DA. 

In fact, not much time is required for Ministry of Railways to revise and implement the rates of Running Allowances, since the time tested and well settled statutory provision of RAC 1980 FORMULA, for Revision of Running Allowances Rates is, in vogue, holding the field for the past almost 4 Decades from the year 1980.In this connection, both the recognized federations and the AILRSA as also the other organizations of railways have made out their justification and submitted to the Ministry of Railways to revise the Running Allowance Rates, strictly, adhering to the RAC 1980 FORMULA, without causing, any further, delay. In this regard, the organized labour has held meetings and consultations with the Ministry of railways, but to no avail. In spite of all these efforts by the federations as also by the AILRSA and other organizations, there is an inordinate delay in revising the Running Allowances Rates, on the part of the Ministry of Railways, causing great unrest in the minds of staff. 

We wish to bring it to your kind consideration and appreciation about the strenuous nature of work of the Running staff who work the trains risking their lives under trying conditions against all odds of nature, be it a tempest weather, dense fog, pouring rain, floods, in addition to overcoming and negotiating with track defects, signal defects, OHE, Loco, Rolling stock defects , besides longer hours of work without rest or relaxation , continuous night duties, deprival of family and social life and remaining all the time in a state of continuous sustained attention for ensuring safety and punctuality of the train services and these are only a few of the job attributes cited here among innumerable. Thus, the running staff occupies an important key position in train operations and plays a vital role in the productivity, profit and progress of Indian Railways. It is to submit that, such a hard working vital staff should not be let down and singled out for differential and discriminatory treatment to the detriment of their interests. The running staffs are also finding it difficult to lead their standard of living and to meet the out of pocket expenditure incurred during the course of performing their running duties, due to non revision of the rates of kilometre allowances. 

Therefore, we, humbly, seek your kind intervention in this matter to direct the Ministry of Railways to revise the rates of Running Allowances as per the statutory RAC 1980 FORMULAE and implement them, without any further delay. 

2. Parity in pension between the pre and post 01-01-2016 Running staff pensioners/ family pensioners as per the policy decision of the Government of India: 

The Government of India was pleased to take a policy decision to revise the pension of pre 2016 retired central Government Employees to give parity in pension between pre and post 01.01.2016 retirees. This policy decision of Government of India was communicated vide DOP&PWOM No.38/37/2016-P&PW(A),dated 12.05.2017, to all the Departments and Ministries for implementation. 

The policy decision states that, “accordingly, the revised Pension/ Family Pension w.e.f.1-1-2016 in respect of all central civil pensioners /family pensioners including CAPF’s, who retired/ died prior to 01-01-2016 may be revised by notionally fixing their pay in the pay matrix recommended by the 7thCPC in the level corresponding to the pay in the pay scale /pay band and grade pay at which they retired /died. 

This will be done by notational pay fixation under each intervening pay commission based on the Formula for revision of pay. While fixing pay on notional pay, the pay fixation formula approved by the Government and other relevant instructions on the subject in force at the relevant time shall be strictly followed. 50% of the notional pay as on 01-01-2016 shall be the revised pension and 30 % of this notional pay shall be the revised family pension w.e.f 01-01-2016 as per the 1stformulation”. 

This methodology was scrupulously followed in respect of all central civil pensioners including Medical Practitioners in Indian Railways. In Railways the Running Staff are paid running Allowances while the Medical Practitioners are paid Non Practicing allowances and both these allowances are taken in to consideration for different purposes including for fitment formula for revision of pay in the intervening pay commissions and for calculations of Pensionary benefits. But, strangely, these benefits are deprived to the pre 01-01-2016 Running Staff pensioners/ family pensioners by Railway Board letter RBE 13/ 2018dated 24-01- 2018,which contains instructions opposed to the government orders contained in theDOP&PWOMNo.38/37/2016-P&PW(A)dated12-05-2017forparityinpension, resulting in heavy loss to them by way of increasing the disparity in pension rather than bringing parity in pension between pre and post 01-01-2016 Running Staff pensioners/ family pensioners. Whereas, complete parity is ensured in the case of Railway Medical Practitioners vide RBENo.154/2017duly following the procedure prescribed in the DOP&PWOM No.38/37/2016-P&PW (A) dated12.05.2017.The approach of Railway Board towards Running Staff is highly discriminatory and opposed to the principle of equality, being most arbitrary and it is violative of article 14,16 and 21 of Constitution of India. The instructions of Railway board letter RBE No. 13/ 2018 dated 24-01-2018 are circulated in utter disregard to the policy decision of Government of India, and results in defeating objectives sought to be achieved by the Government of India. These instructions are, also, offending the existing pay rules and pension rules. 

Your good self may be pleased to appreciate that the pre 01.01.2016 pensioners/ family pensioners are senior citizens and are in the age group of 65 to 95 years as many of them are at their fag end of life with already one leg kept in the grave and ready to lift the other leg at any time. They have no other option except to pray for your esteemed honour’s intervention to bestow them with the fruits of welfare legislation enacted by your Government of giving parity in pension between the pre and post 01-01-2016 pensioners and it is wish to enjoy the fruit of parity in pension when they are alive. The detailed representations in this regard, were sent to the chairman, railway board and the Director, DOP& PW on13.02.2018 and 19.02.2018, respectively, but still no action is seen in these matters. 

We, therefore, request your Honour to urgently intervene in to this matter, to undo the injustice caused to the Running Staff, by reviewing the negative instructions contained in the RBE 13/ 2018 and duly issuing revised orders to ensure Parity in Pension to the running staff pensioners/ family pensioners as given in the case of Medical Practitioners pensioners/ family pensioners as running staff pensioners are also, similarly situated. Accordingly, the revised orders may kindly be issued for the purpose of revision of Pension of pre 01.01.2016 Running Staff pensioners /family pensioners,in accordance with DOP OMNo.38/37/2016- PW(A),dated12-05-2017, to revise their pay notionally w.e.f 01.01.2016 based on the formula for revising of Pay as applicable to the Running Staff in the 7thCPC as well as in the intervening pay commissions. The 55% pay element as applicable on 01-01-2016 shall be added to such notional pay as on 01.01.2016 to arrive at Pension /Family Pension of Running Staff pensioners /family pensioners’ w.e.f01.01.2016. 

Your’s faithfully 

                                                                                                    (                                     ) 

16.05.18                                                                                  DIVISION SECRETARY  AILRSA 

Copy to: Hon’ble Minister of Railways