The Director General (RHS),
Railway Board,
Rail Bhawan,
New Delhi.
Sub: Request for extending uninterrupted Railway medical facilities to the dependents of serving Railway employees appointed to higher posts through RRBs/other selection processes during the training period.
Ref: AIRF’s Letter No. AIRF/101 dated 25.06.2026 & 15.07.2026
Dear Sir,
The All India Railwaymen’s Federation (AIRF) once again invites your kind and urgent attention to its above-mentioned letters on the long-pending issue concerning serving Railway employees who, after regular service in Indian Railways, are selected for higher posts through Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs) or other approved selection processes and are required to undergo mandatory training before regular appointment.
It has been brought to AIRF’s notice that during the training period, such employees are being treated at par with fresh recruits, resulting in denial of Railway medical facilities to their dependents, including Medical Identity Cards and free Railway medical treatment. Consequently, employees who have already been enjoying these facilities as permanent Railway servants are deprived of essential welfare benefits merely because they have secured promotion to a higher post through merit and competitive selection.
These employees continue to remain Railway servants without any break in service and are only moving from one regular post to another within the same organization. Therefore, discontinuance of medical facilities and other welfare benefits during the intervening training period is wholly unjustified and contrary to the spirit of employee welfare.
It is pertinent to mention that Para 1404 of Chapter XIV of the Indian Railway Establishment Code (IREC) permits retention of lien of a permanent Railway employee even on appointment to another Central/State Government Department through proper channel, if such protection is available when an employee leaves the Railways for another Government Department, there is no justification for denying similar protection to an employee who continues within Indian Railways after selection to a higher post. The existing practice is, therefore, anomalous and requires immediate rectification.
One such case has been reported from Diesel Loco Modernization Works (DMW), Patiala. Shri Pul Bahadur, formerly Technician-III (Crane Driver), SSE/Skel Bast, Delhi, was selected as Junior Engineer through RRB. While his lien continues in the parent cadre in terms of Para 1404 of the IREC, his dependents have been denied Railway medical facilities during training. The matter has become particularly distressing as his wife is presently undergoing treatment at Max Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, Delhi, causing severe financial hardship and mental stress to the family.
AIRF would also like to submit that this is not an isolated case. Similar grievances are being received from various Zonal Railways and Production Units, indicating a widespread systemic anomaly adversely affecting employee welfare, morale and career progression.
In view of the above, AIRF once again earnestly requests the Railway Board to issue comprehensive instructions to all Zonal Railways, Production Units and other Railway establishments to ensure that serving Railway employees selected to higher posts through RRBs or other approved recruitment/selection processes continue to enjoy, without interruption, all welfare benefits admissible to them as permanent Railway employees, particularly Railway medical facilities for their dependents, Privilege Passes/PTOs and other allied benefits during the entire period of mandatory training.
An early and favourable decision will remove the existing anomaly, ensure uniform implementation across Indian Railways, uphold the principles of employee welfare and natural justice, and provide much-needed relief to the affected Railway employees and their families.
Yours faithfully,
(Shiva Gopal Mishra)
General Secretary
Copy to: General Secretary, All affiliated Unions of AIRF – For information.
