Railways to recover excess risk allowance paid to low-level staff

The Indian Railways will recover ₹75 per month from the Risk Allowance paid to thousands of employees engaged in 12 categories of hazardous work, including safaiwalas directly working in underground drains/seeds, across the country for over three years.

In 2018, the Ministry of Railways revised the rate of Risk Allowance from ₹60 per month to ₹135 per month to the 12 categories of staff deployed in hazardous work with effect from July 1, 2017. The order was issued on the basis of a Ministry of Finance communication conveying the Union government’s decision on the 7th Central Pay Commission’s (CPC) recommendations.

After more than three years now, the Railway Board in a recent order referred to a letter from the Department of Personnel & Training and said that the Risk Allowance payable from July 1, 2017 to November 2, 2020 would be payable at the rate of ₹60 per month as per the 6th CPC norms. Similarly, under the 7th CPC, it would be payable at the rate of ₹90 per month from November 3, 2020 onwards.

All Zonal Railways, Production Units, Workshops and other railway establishments were told to recover the difference of Risk Allowance at the rate of ₹60 per month paid from July 1, 2017 to November 2, 2020 and ₹45 excess of Risk Allowance paid per month from November 3, 2020 to the date of recovery.

The Railways have categorised a few jobs as eligible for the payment of Risk Allowance. Among others, the list includes safaiwalas directly working in underground drains/sewer pipes, cleaning of manholes, sewerage treatment plants, those engaged in the use of electrolytes, chrome plating, galvanising tanks, effluent treatment plant, manufacturing insulation components for hazardous chemicals, X-ray attendants and malaria khalasis spraying pesticides, handling acids, anti-larval drugs, etc.