No. AIRF/82
Dated: 29.07.2026
To
The Chairman & CEO
Railway Board
Rail Bhawan
New Delhi
Sub:– Retention of Manual Option for Issuance of Passes/PTOs to Retired Railway Employees and Divyang Employees – Guidelines for e-Pass/PTO Module of HRMS.
Ref:
- Railway Board’s letter No. PC-VII/2020/HRMS/6 dated 29.05.2026.
- Railway Board’s letter No. PC-VII/2020/HRMS/6 dated 15.07.2026.
- AIRF’s letter No. AIRF/82 dated 02.06.2026.
Dear Sir,
The All India Railwaymen’s Federation (AIRF) once again desires to invite your kind and immediate attention to the serious difficulties being faced by retired railway employees and Divyang employees consequent upon the implementation of the e-Pass/PTO module of HRMS.
Vide its letter dated 29.05.2026, the Railway Board directed that Passes/PTOs, including Post Retirement Complimentary Passes (PRCP) for pensioners and passes for serving Divyang (PwBD) employees, be processed through HRMS, with the objective of enabling online ticket booking through the IRCTC portal in addition to booking through PRS counters.
However, a large number of retired employees, family pensioners and Divyang employees have represented that they are unable to conveniently avail themselves of the digital facility due to lack of digital literacy, smartphones, internet connectivity and other technological or accessibility-related constraints. They have, therefore, strongly demanded continuation of the manual system as an alternative, as was available to them earlier.
It is appreciated that, pursuant to AIRF’s representations, the Railway Board vide its letter dated 15.07.2026 permitted issuance of manual passes as an interim measure wherever difficulties are encountered in issuing passes through HRMS, with a review of the matter after three months. However, the said arrangement has not been implemented uniformly by Zonal Railways/Production Units, and the manual system continues to be treated merely as an exception and not being implemented properly, whereas the genuine demand of AIRF and its affiliated pensioners’ federation, AIRPWF, is for restoration of the manual option as a regular and permanent alternative for retired employees, family pensioners and serving Divyang employees.
In this connection, it is pertinent to recall that the matter had earlier been discussed in the AIRF Permanent Negotiating Machinery (PNM) Meeting with the Railway Board. Considering the practical difficulties faced by these sections, the Board had categorically clarified vide letter No. PC-VII/2021/HRMS/61 dated 29.11.2021 that retired railway employees and Divyang employees could avail Passes/PTOs either through HRMS or through the manual system, entirely according to their convenience and choice, and that no eligible employee should be denied Passes/PTOs through the manual mode.
It may kindly be appreciated that most retired railway employees are senior citizens, many of whom may not have adequate digital literacy or access to smartphones, computers and reliable internet facilities. Likewise, Divyang employees may face specific physical, visual or accessibility-related difficulties in using digital platforms. Making HRMS the sole mode of issuance of Passes/PTOs may, therefore, cause avoidable hardship and effectively deprive a vulnerable section of the railway fraternity of a legitimate welfare facility.
In view of the foregoing, AIRF earnestly requests your kind and immediate intervention to ensure that the instructions contained in the Railway Board’s letter dated 15.07.2026 are implemented uniformly and in their true spirit on a permanent basis. It is further requested that necessary instructions may kindly be issued to all Zonal Railways, Production Units and concerned offices to restore and continue the earlier arrangement, whereby retired railway employees, family pensioners and serving Divyang employees may obtain Passes/PTOs either through HRMS or through the manual system, entirely at their own discretion and convenience. It may also kindly be reiterated that no eligible retired employee, family pensioner or Divyang employee is denied issuance of Passes/PTOs through the manual mode.
The Federation solicits your kind and urgent personal intervention in this important welfare matter and trusts that the genuine demand will be considered sympathetically and resolved favourably at the earliest.
Copy to:
General Secretaries, All Affiliated Unions – For information.
Yours faithfully,
(Shiva Gopal Mishra)
General Secretary
