Government of India
Ministry of Railways
(Railway Board)
RBENo. 94/2010
No. E(MPP)2009/3/6
New Delhi, dated 01.07.2010
The General Managers,
All Indian Railways including Production Units
Sub: – Messing facilities in respect of Group’C’ & ‘D’ staff undergoing training in Railway Training Centres – DC/JCM Item No,07/2007
Ref: – Board’s letter No. (i) E(Trg)73(32)/1 dated 24-5-76
(ii) E(Trg)80/35/4 dated 26-6-84 and
(iii) E(G)/91 AL6-1 dated 16-8-85
As per the extant instructions, Railway employees nominated to undergo training, other than training in initial course in Railway Training Centres, are provided free messing, where it is compulsory. The messing rates for employees undergoing training are to be fixed on a uniform basis by the General Managers in consultation with their FA&CAOs.These rates correspond to roughly 80% of the daily allowance being spent on messing, so that wholesome food could be supplied. These instructions also provide for 20% of the rate of Daily Allowance being paid to the trainees for incidental expenses.
The question of revising instructions on messing facilities in respect of railway employees undergoing training in the Railway Training Centres has been under consideration of the Ministry of Railways. The matter was raised in the DC/JCM(Railways) meeting and after due deliberations with the Federations, it has been decided that:
(i) All the trainees availing the messing facilities should pay the messing charges directly to the training centres before being relieved from the training courses. In the case of in service staff, 100% Daily Allowance claim may be allowed, once messing charges have been fully paid by such staff and if they are otherwise eligible.
(ii) The messing facilities should be gradually outsourced. Once outsourcing has been given effect to, the messing rates for employees undergoing training should be deducted from the trainees on the basis of actuals. Until the change to outsourcing takes place, messing rates should be fixed by the General Managers in consultation with their FA&CAOs.There would be no concept of free messing after issue of these instructions.
(iii) The plant & machinery and equipments wherever required by the mess in the Training Centres can be provided by the Administration. While petty repairs and contingencies costing up to Rs. 500/- per item should be met from the mess fund, expenditure on repairs and contingencies costing above RS.500/- on each occasion per item provided by the Railway Administrations should be undertaken by the Administration· themselves. No departmental staff such as Cooks, Bearers, Cleaners etc. should be made available for providing messing facilities, after outsourcing the same. The departmental staff wherever engaged in the mess in the Training Centres should be suitably redeployed.
(iv) No charges towards water, cess, rent and overheads should be recovered. These may be considered as part of the infrastructure.
(v) The nominated Training Manager of the Department concerned should supervise the function of mess in consultation with Principal/In charge of the training centres through a mess committee consisting of
representatives of the trainees and Faculty of the training centres. The management of the mess should be the responsibility of the Mess Committee and the modalities of forming the Mess Committee may be decided by the Railway Administration themselves.
(vi) Guest charges, if any, should be fixed by the Training Centres on cost plus basis.
(vii) A Six-monthly Audit of the mess accounts should be ensured through Associate Finance of the Training Centres concerned and suitable honorarium paid. The rates of the honorarium should be worked out by the Training Centres in consultation with their Associate Finance.
(viii) The mess should function on no-profit-no loss basis taken on annual basis and profits, if any, left over should be utilized for enhancing the sports and library activities of the training institution concerned.
The above guidelines are issued in supercession of all existing instructions on the subject.
This issues with the concurrence of the Finance Directorate of the Ministry of Railways.
(K.Harikrishnan)
Director(MPP)
Railway Board.
