Clarification regarding issuance of Privilege Pass Surrender Certificate PPSC and availing of Special Cash Package

INDIAN RAILWAYS TECHNICAL SUPERVISORS ASSOCIATION
(Estd. 1965, Regd. No.1329)
C.Hq. 32, Phase 6, Mohali, Chandigarh-160055.

No:IRTSA/CHQ/Memo.2021-5

Date:15.03.2021

Director General (HR)
Railway Board

Sub: Clarification regarding issuance of Privilege Pass Surrender Certificate PPSC and availing of Special Cash Package.

Ref:

1) Railway Board letter No.E(W)2020/PSS-1/3, dated 04.03.2021
2) Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure O.M.No12(2)/2020/E-ll.A, dated 10.03.2021

1) In Special Cash Package equivalent in lieu of Leave Travel Concession Fare for Central Government Employees including Railway Employees, JCM Staff side and IRTSA made following demands,

a) Cash equivalent spending of the value of deemed LTC fare (instead of three times) may be permitted.

b) Cash equivalent spending on deemed LTC fare may be permitted with GST registered vendors without linking it with any GST rates.

c) Cut-off date for final submission of bills 31stMarch 2021 may please be extended by up to 31st December 2021.

2) Instead of addressing above points, in the clarification issued on 04.03.2021, Railway Board came out with a rider stating that, “Surrender of Privilege Passes of 2020 and issuance of PPSC for the year 2020 is not permissible in the calendar year 2021”.

3) lnpara-5 of Ministry of Finance, Dept. of Exp. O.M. No.F.No.12(2)/2020-Ell(A) Dated 12th Oct 2020, it is clearly mentioned that, the Special Cash Package will be in force during the current financial year till 31st March 2021. Hence Railway Board’s clarification violates Ministry of Finance order.

4) Further in its clarification for 4th set of LTC in Query No. 4 of FAQ, Department of Expenditure vide their O.M.No12(2)/2020/E-ll.A, dated 10.03.2021, allowed employees to avail cash package for the year 2020 in 2021 (upto 31.03.2021) even if the item is purchased after 31.12.2020 but before 31.03.2021. The order says that, “A newly recruited employee, whose LTC expires in December 2020 which remains unutilized, may be allowed to claim the cash package in lieu of that LTC till 3151 March 2021.” In similar principle Railways should allow special cash package in lieu of surrender of privilege passes for the year 2020, even if PPSC is issued after 31.12 .2020.

5) Many of the Zones, Divisions& PUs issued their local circulars and procedure orders very late, employees didn’t get sufficient time to get PPSC before 31.12.2020.

6) Many teething issues beyond the control of employees during Introduction of e-Privilege Pass/PTO in HRMS Moduleis another main cause for issue of delay in PPSC.

7) Scheme of optional ‘All India Leave Travel Concession’ (AILTC) facility, once in a block of four years (i.e. 2018-2021 onwards) on surrender of Privilege Passes was introduced in Railways for the first time vide Railway Board letter No.E(W)2017/PS5-1/3 dated 10.09.2018. Many of the Railways & PUs haven’t issued any procedure order to implement the scheme till now. Hence administration is not in readiness to implement the special cash package scheme in a short span of time.

8) Announcing 31.12.2020 as cut-off date for PPSC through clarification dated 04.03.2021 makes no logic. It has created different uneven conditions which cannot be settled logically and employees will be made to suffer,

a) Employees already availed Special Cash Package or Advance by surrendering passes of 2020 account, applying PPSC before 31.12.2020, but PPSC issued after 31.12.2020.

b) Employees already availed Special Cash Package or Advance by surrendering passes of 2020 account, but PPSC applied & issued after 31.12.2020.

c) Employees issued PPSC after 31.12.2021 for passes of 2020 account and their Special Cash Package application or Application for advance is under process.

d) Employees got PPSC after 31.12.2021 for passes of 2020 account, but waiting for submission along with expenditure vouchers.

9) Advancing the cut-off date from 31.03.2021 to 31.12.2020 on 04.03.2021 will not only put the employees in hardship, zones, divisions & PUs will have administrative complications.

10) It is therefore requested to withdraw clarification issued on 04.03.2021 and demands mentioned in para-1 may please be agreed.

Thanking you
Yours’ faithfully,
HARCHANDAN SINGH,
General Secretary

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