7th Pay Commission Report: Allowances for Running Staff of Indian Railways ( ALK , Ghat Allowance , Outstation (Detention) Allowance , Shunting Allowance , Trip Allowance , Special Running Staff Allowance , Kilo metreage Allowance (KMA)) Chapter 8.11
Allowances Covered
8.11.1 Alphabetical list of Allowances covered here is as under:
- Accident Allowance
- Allowance in Lieu of Kilometreage (ALK)
- Allowance in Lieu of Running Room Facilities
- Breach of Rest Allowance
- Ghat Allowance
- Kilometreage Allowance (KMA)
- Officiating Allowance
- Outstation (Detention) Allowance
- Outstation (Relieving) Allowance
- Shunting Allowance
- Special Running Staff Allowance
- Trip Allowance
- Waiting Duty Allowance
Present Position
8.11.2 Running Staff of Indian Railways are entitled to “Running Allowance” that includes Kilometreage Allowance (KMA) and Allowance in Lieu of Kilometreage (ALK). Besides these, they are also entitled to some special compensatory allowances, as outlined above. The present dispensation of these allowances is as under:
Accident Allowance
8.11.3 It is granted to those Running Staff of Indian Railways who are held up at any station other than headquarters due to an accident for a period exceeding 8 hours. If the period of detention < 8 hours, no payment is made, but the period of detention is counted towards hours of duty. Presently the payment is made at the rate of Kilometreage Allowance equal to 70 km for every 24 hour or part thereof, reckoned from time of commencement of detention.
Allowance in Lieu of Kilometreage (ALK)
8.11.4 This allowance is granted to running staff of Indian Railways when they are engaged in or employed on non-running duties. The present rates are:
| When such running duties are required to be performed at HQ | Equal to Pay Element of Running
Allowance, i.e.,30% of Basic Pay |
| When such running duties are required to be performed at outstations | Granted Kilometrage Allowance on notional kilometres earned @160 km per day |
8.11.5 The activities for which ALK is payable are given below:
- Attending Medical examinations.
- Journey on transfer.
- Joining Time.
- Refresher Courses and Training in carriage sheds.
- Attending enquiries.
- Attending law courts.
- Attending as Defence Counsel.
- Trade Union meetings.
- Attending First Aid classes.
- Attending Ambulance classes.
- Taking part in Territorial Army camps.
- Attending Staff Loan societies.
- Attending Welfare and Debt committees.
- Attending Sports Duties.
- Undergoing Sterilisation operation.
- Attending Hindi examination.
- Guards booked on escort duties.
- LP/ALP kept as spare for examination/cleaning engine for VIP special trains.
- Any other duties declared in emergency as qualifying for ALK.
- ALK @ 120 km to LPs working as Power Control/Crew Control.
Allowance in Lieu of Running Room Facilities
8.11.6 It is payable to running staff of Indian Railways at outstations where running room is not provided. Half the rate is admissible if running room is there but cook is not provided. The present rates are:
|
Category |
Rate (₹) for every 24 hrs or part thereof |
|
Loco Pilots |
36.00 |
|
Guards |
36.00 |
|
Loco Pilots (Shunting) |
26.00 |
|
Firemen/Asstt. Loco Pilots |
22.40 |
|
Brakesman/Asstt. Guards |
22.40 |
Breach of Rest Allowance
8.11.7 It is granted to running staff of Indian Railways who are detained for running duties before completion of scheduled Rest Period. It is payable as Overtime Allowance under HOER at the rate of 2 hours for every hour by which rest fall short of prescribed hours of rest.
Ghat Allowance
8.11.8 It is granted to running staff of Indian Railways when operating trains on sections with steep gradient (Ghat Sections). This is granted on the premise that the average speed in Ghat Sections is much lower than non-Ghat sections and therefore the Running Staff operating on Ghat Sections will be put to a disadvantage vis-à-vis their counterpart operating on non-Ghat Sections in terms of Kilometreage Allowance if this allowance is not there. The present rates are:
|
Class-I Ghat Section |
Computation of kilometres will be 5 times the actual distance travelled |
|
Class-II Ghat Section |
Computation of kilometres will be 3 times the actual distance travelled |
Kilometreage Allowance (KMA)
8.11.9 It is granted to running staff of Indian Railways for being employed on running duties. This allowance is granted to incentivize more train running and to compensate the staff for loss of daily allowance, which is not applicable to them. The current formula for the calculation of KMA is as under:
30 % of the mean of scale of Passenger Driver + 20 days’ TA for ordinary class of cities
———————————————————————————————————- *100
Average passenger Kms per month of Passenger Driver
8.11.10 Based on the above, the present rates of KMA are:
|
Kind of Staff |
Category |
Grade Pay |
Rates of KMA (₹ per 100 km) |
|
Loco Running Staff |
Loco Pilot (Mail) |
4200 |
212.5 |
|
Loco Pilot (Pass./Motorman) |
4200 |
211.25 |
|
|
Loco Pilot (Goods) |
4200 |
210 |
|
|
Shunter Gr.-I |
4200 |
162.5 |
|
|
Shunter Gr.-II |
2400 |
157.5 |
|
|
Senior Fireman-I, Senior Assistant Loco Pilot |
2400 |
157.5 (101.25 for shunting) |
|
|
Fireman-I, Assistant Loco Pilot |
1900 |
151.25 (97.5 for shunting) |
|
|
Senior Second Fireman, Motorman |
1900 |
151.25 (97.5 for shunting) |
|
|
Second Fireman |
1800 |
127.5 (76.25 for shunting) |
|
Kind of Staff |
Category |
Grade Pay |
Rates of KMA (₹ per 100 km) |
|
Traffic Running Staff |
Mail/Express Guard |
4200 |
192.5 |
|
Passenger Guard |
4200 |
191.25 |
|
|
Sr. Goods Guard |
4200 |
190 |
|
|
Goods Guard |
2800 |
188.75 |
|
|
Sr. Asstt. Guard/Sr. Brakesman |
2400 |
112.5 |
|
|
Asstt. Guard/Brakesman |
1900 |
107.5 |
Officiating Allowance
8.11.11 It is granted to running staff of Indian Railways when put to officiate in other “running”
or “stationery” posts. The present rates are:
|
When running staff are put to officiate in a “running post” |
For 30 days or less |
Entitled to pay as admissible in lower grade PLUS Running Allowance applicable to higher post enhanced by 15% (except for certain posts where enhancement is 30%) |
|
For more than 30 days |
Pay in the higher post shall be fixed under the normal rules |
|
|
When running staff are put to officiate in a “stationery post” |
For 30 days or less |
As per the rules governing Outstation (Relieving) Allowance |
|
For more than 30 days |
Entitled to pay as admissible in lower grade PLUS 30% thereof representing the pay in the lower post PLUS 30% thereof representing the pay element in Running Allowance |
Outstation (Detention) Allowance
8.11.12 It is paid to running staff of Indian Railways when detained at outstations for more than 16 hours from the time they sign off duty. Presently the payment is made at the rate of Kilometreage Allowance equal to 70 km for every 24 hour or part thereof after expiry of 16 hours from time of ‘signing off.’
Outstation (Relieving) Allowance
8.11.13 It is paid to Running Staff of Indian Railways who are deputed to work temporarily outside their headquarters either on running duties or stationary duties. When running staff are sent to officiate in higher posts, the allowance shall be paid for 14 days only, and when in the same capacity, the allowance shall be paid for a maximum period of 2 months. The rate of the allowance is the same as for Outstation (Detention) Allowance for each day reckoned from the date of arrival at outstation.
Shunting Allowance
8.11.14 It is paid to running staff of Indian Railways working Van Goods trains and Through Goods trains. The present rates are:
|
Category |
Rate per shunting |
|
Loco Pilots |
₹33.50 |
|
Guards |
₹26.50 |
|
Firemen/Assistant Loco Pilots |
₹23.50 |
Special Running Staff Allowance
8.11.15 Introduced by the VI CPC, this allowance is granted to certain categories of Running
Staff in Indian Railways on account of more onerous nature of work as well as process of selection involved. Dearness Allowance is paid on this allowance. The extant rates are:
|
Loco Pilot (Passenger), Mail Guard |
₹500 pm+DA |
|
Loco Pilot (Mail/Express) |
₹1000 pm+DA |
Trip Allowance
8.11.16 It is paid to running staff of Indian Railways working on High Speed Trains from shed to shed. The current rates are:
|
Category |
Rate |
|
Loco Pilot (Mail) |
₹24 |
|
Co-driver (if provided) and Loco Pilot (Passenger) |
₹18 |
|
Mail/Express Guard |
₹18 |
|
Assistant Guard/Brakesman |
₹12 |
Waiting Duty Allowance
8.11.17 It is granted to running staff of Indian Railways when on waiting/standby duty as per roster or due to cancellation/detention of train, etc. Presently the payment is made at the rate of Kilometreage Allowance equal to 15 km per hour up to ten hours.
Demands
8.11.18 Both the recognised federations of Indian Railways, viz., All India Railwaymen’s Federation (AIRF) and National Federation of Indian Railwaymen (NFIR) have requested that “the issue pertaining to payment of Running Allowance (Kilometerage Allowances and ALK) is best left to the Railway Administration, since from time immemorial, the kilometerage entitlements/rates are decided through bi-lateral discussions between Railway Board and Federations.” On the other hand the Ministry of Railway specifically referred the examination of Running Allowance (RA) to the Seventh CPC for its consideration, vide Letter No.E(P&A)II-2014/Misc.3/7th CPC of 20.10.2014.
8.11.19 However, subsequently vide letter No.E(P&A)II-2014/Misc.3/7th CPC of 11.05.2015, the Ministry of Railways reverted to the Commission stating that successive Pay Commissions have “refrained from giving any express recommendations on the methodology/formula for calculation of the rates of Kilometreage Allowance/ALK,” and “7th CPC may consider to let past practice continue.”
8.11.20 Considering the above, except for the Special Running Staff Allowance, which is covered in the Chapter 11.40, the discussion on these allowances is not included in the report.