Lok Sabha Question No. 449 (STARRED), answered on 2019-07-24
Subject: Tenure/Service Period of Senior Officers
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Ramcharan Bohra, Devji Mansingram Patel

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 449

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 24.07.2019

## TENURE/SERVICE PERIOD OF SENIOR OFFICERS

- *449.  SHRI RAMCHARAN BOHRA: SHRI DEVJI M. PATEL:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state :

- (a) the details of existing prescribed rules/instructions /guidelines including those  issued  by  the  Central  Vigilance  Commission  for  posting/transfer/ rotation of the Railway Government officials;
- (b)  the  details  of  the  officers  in  the  Railways  who  are  posted/working  in Delhi  and  in  zonal  headquarters  beyond  the  prescribed  period  of  tenure along with the reasons for over staying the prescribed period of their tenure and the steps taken/being taken by  the Government to strictly  implement the guidelines/instructions in this regard;
- (c)  whether  it  is  a  fact  that  many  officers  get  their  posting  in  Delhi  in Northern Railway, Railway Board, PSU or on deputation and continue there for decades and/or get their posting back in Delhi in short period and if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;
- (d) whether the Government proposes to formulate a policy to limit the total tenure/service period of senior officers at one place, i.e., in Delhi or Zonal Headquarters and the time by which it is likely to be implemented; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS AND COMMERCE & INDUSTRY

(SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

(a) to (e): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF STARRED QUESTION NO. 449 BY SHRI RAMCHARAN BOHRA AND SHRI DEVJI  M. PATEL  TO  BE  ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON  24.07.2019  REGARDING TENURE/SERVICE PERIOD OF SENIOR OFFICERS

- (a) : Existing guidelines/instructions regarding posting/transfer of railway officers including those issued by the Central Vigilance Commission were compiled into a Comprehensive Transfer Policy (CTP) issued on 31.08.2015 which was modified from time to time.   The salient features of the CTP are:-
-  Ordinarily a Group A officer will not be transferred out of his allotted Zone /Unit till Selection Grade;
-  Officers  are  considered  for  posting  to  Railway  Board,  Research Designs & Standards Organisation (RDSO), Central Training Institutes (CTIs),  Production  Units  (PUs)  and  other  Units  on  completion  of minimum of 5 years in allotted zone.
-  Postings in Railway Board, CTIs, RDSO & Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs) have a maximum tenure of 5 years.
-  Normally, minimum tenure on a particular post at a time will be 2 years and maximum tenure will be 5 years.
-  For sensitive posts, maximum tenure will be 4 years.
-  Total stay at a stretch at a particular station should not be more than 10 years (15 years for Indian Railway Medical Service Officers (IRMS) and the cumulative stay (in broken spells), should not be more than 15 years (20 years for IRMS). Deputation to other Ministries/Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) is not counted for this purpose.
-  A government servant who is also a caregiver of a disabled child may be exempted from the routine exercise of transfer/rotational transfer subject to administrative constraints.

-  Every  effort  will  be  made  to  post  husband  and  wife  at  the  same station.
- (b) There are very few officers over staying in Delhi/Zonal Headquarter, beyond their prescribed tenure for various reasons - like care-giving to a disabled child, education of children, critical/terminal illness etc. A close watch is kept to minimize such cases and transfer the officers.
- (c)  As  per  circulars  dated  25.10.18  and  30.11.18,  posting of  Railway Officers in Railway Board and PSUs up to Senior Administrative Grade are based on applications through vacancy circulars and job requirement. Posting in Delhi and Northern Railway is also decided on the  basis  of  job-requirement  and  experience  of  the  officers  in  the relevant field.

(d) & (e) A Comprehensive Transfer Policy already exists.

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