7th Pay Commission Committee Report | Special Running Staff Allowance

7th Pay Commission Committee Report | Special Running Staff Allowance

Special Running Staff Allowance (Para 8.11.15, 11.40.62)

Existing Provisions: This allowance is granted to Running staff on account of more onerous nature of work as well as process of selection involved. The extant rates are:

Loco Pilot (Passenger), Mail Guard @ ₹500 pm + DA
Loco Pilot (Mail/Express) @ ₹1000 pm + DA

Recommendations of 7th CPC: Special Running Staff Allowance should be raised to ₹2,250 pm for Loco Pilot Mail / Express, ₹1,125 pm to Loco Pilot Passenger/Motormen and ₹1,125 for Guard Mail/Express. In addition, Loco Pilot Goods and Sr. Passenger Guard should also be extended this allowance at the rate of ₹750 pm. Dearness Allowance will be payable on this allowance but it will not count for pensionary benefits.

Demands:

I. Ministry of Railways:
i. Special Running Allowance (Additional Allowance for Running Staff) be revised from ₹2250/- pm to ₹3000 pm and ₹1250/- pm to ₹1500/- pm for Loco Pilot (Mail / Express) and Loco Pilot (Pass.) respectively as erstwhile distinct cadres and pay scales of LP (M/E) and LP (Pass) and LP (Goods) were merged into Grade Pay of ₹4200 by 6th CPC and proposal for grant of Grade Pay ₹4600 to LP (M/E) has not been accepted.

ii. This allowance be called Additional Allowance as earlier and not Special Running Allowance.

II. All India Guards Council: Special Running Staff Allowance may also be allowed to the Goods Guards.

Analysis and Recommendations of the Committee:

In the deliberations of the Committee, Ministry of Railways have emphasised the functional requirements of the Organisation and the need for increasing the rates of this allowance for Loco Pilot (Passenger) and Loco Pilot (Mail /
Express). Ministry of Railways have also stated that the nomenclature of the allowance used  by the 7th CPC may be changed as there are other running allowances admissible in Railways. The Committee noted that the rates of this allowance being fixed in nature, have already been revised by a factor of 2.25. In addition, Loco Pilot (Passenger) and Loco Pilot (Mail / Express) are already getting this allowance at different rates. Therefore, no change is being recommended in the rates for this Allowance. The Committee, however, recommends that the  name of this Allowance may continue to be „Additional Allowance‟ instead of Special Running Staff Allowance.