RBE No.173/1985 Restructuring – Special pay(s)

No.E(P&A)I-84 SP-I TP-1, dated 25.06.1985

Sub: Continuance of existing special pay(s) in various categories which have benefited by cadre restructuring reclassification orders issued from time to time by this Ministry – regarding.

1.     Queries are being received in this Ministry about the continued admissibility of special pay(s), sanctioned to various categories of staff, either under powers delegated to the General Managers for sanctioning special pay(s) to un-skilled class IV staff for performing arduous duties in the context of the recommendations of the Third Pay Commission, or under specific orders issued in respect of different categories from time to time, even after such categories got benefited by the Board’s orders of cadre restructuring reclassification. This matter has also been raised by the Staff Side in the Departmental Council Meeting.

2.     The Ministry of Railways have carefully examined the matter and desire to clarify that, where an existing category, in Class IV or Class  III, artisan, has benefited by cadre restructuring reclassification by way of total replacement of all the posts in the existing lower grade to a new higher grade, any  special  pay attached to  these posts in the lower grade prior to restructuring reclassification either under GM’s orders, or on the basis of orders issued by the Ministry from time to time, will cease to be in force after restructuring reclassification.

3.     In regard to categories which have benefited partially by cadre restructuring reclassification in the sense that there has been no replacement of an existing grade by a higher grade but the percentages prescribed for  posts in various grades have been revised through cadre restructuring reclassification, the existing special pay(s) attached to posts such percentages of posts which continue in the existing lower grade, even after cadre restructuring reclassification will continue after cadre restructuring reclassification. However, if there are certain posts in the existing grades, prior to cadre restructuring reclassification to which special pay may not already have been sanctioned, no special pay should henceforth be sanctioned to such posts under the powers delegated to the General Managers.

4.     The decision in regard to inadmissibility of special pay(s) after cadre restructuring reclassification will be effective from the date from which the cadre restructuring reclassification orders are effective for purposes of  proforma pay fixation or, if there is no proforma fixation, from the dates cadre restructuring orders are effective.

5.     Ministry of Railways have however decided, as a special case that, if staff who are already drawing special pay, suffer drop in emoluments, when their pay is fixed in the restructured reclassified grades, due to the special pay not being admissible for protection under extant orders, such drop in emoluments may be protected as personal pay, to be absorbed by future increases in pay.

6.     The instructions regarding withdrawal of special pay will, however, not apply to categories in the RPF, RPSF, Electronic Data Processing Centres, etc. where restructuring orders themselves indicate quite clearly the continuance of special pay in various grades in the revised cadre structure after restructuring. If there is any doubt in regard to the continued admissibility of special pay in a particular category or grade, after the issue of these orders, a reference may be made to this Ministry along with the comments of your FA & CAO for a further decision.

7.     This has the approval of the President and issues with concurrence of the Finance Directorate of the Ministry of Railways.