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:o{ 'os.zots' Dated 2012/F(E)![l/'ni'4-Pt' il,ffi.il,3o. Deat'$hri Sani'aYKott"rani' after S u b j e c t ' : - R ' e q u e s t o f t t . l ena'ltway . r e c o g n i z e d f - e d e r a t i o n s (on A | Rotr ,F&NF|R'}fon tneof exer-r-rption ""*-t"i*''appolntea-

01.0,n:2004fronrtil"Liltioinlonut"ii't"ItGti"nttFensionSvstern (NPS'!"

(copvelqroll!] 3.2014 dated2e.0 to attention tlJ.e thenFinance ";"1{; " !oj"*,":rur"niiuri*kh1tsu MayI drawyourkind appointed servants :.1. raitway bythe,n"; ,iri",rtui'io,. T"ily-"il rrur^*ten sh p chi9"i?ii,1T'iegaroing."*"-ptiin'iilr'e system. Hon,ble Pension Minister, tnJnutional appticaiio-n"ot the fr-om or.ioo+ or after oi on

ra:i1,,,"J:3fi,'l1"iJ isbeins issue rhe :'#J$:!'fi:[i::!]g?t1?1?Xitil :,- &since, and includins forums intothematter looKIn ut o-J'ioui 11,;il'i";k kindly NFIR)

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With regards

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(2)Secret.arV(FS)lDepartmentofFinancialServices'JeevanDeepBui|ding,NewDelhi P i n c o d e1- 1 0 0 0 1' (@ N o. I l'/l',tPS/P I'-RDtl

Nufiottul Feilerution of Intliun Ruilwaynten (N. F.l.R) -1,Chelntsforrl Routl. New Delhi. Dt:13/04/2015

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MINIST'ERF'ORRAII.WAYS G O V E R N M E N TO F I N D I A NEW DEI,HI

No.2012iF(E)Ifi/ I I 4-Part

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ji, DearShriP. Chidambaram Throughthis letter, I wish to draw your attentionto a long standing demandraised by both Staff Federations of Railwayson NationalPension Scheme(NPS)for employees of IndianRailways. The Federations have been expressing resentment over operation'inthe Railways of the NationalPension Scheme,which is perceivedas -a lower social security cover for Railway employees. Their contentionis that there are enoughgroundsfor Railway employeesto be treated differently from other civil employeesof the Government, and that Indian Railways shouldoperatethe traditionaldefined benefitpensionschemeavailable to pre-01-01-2004 appointees.

You will recall th; a few organizations/categories of Government employees werespecifically exempted fromthe purviewof NPSon consideration of special,riskierand moreonerousnatureof duties.The Federations havebeen parallel drawing with of nature of duties performedby most categoriesof Railwayemployees with thosein the ArmedForces.They contendthat during Britishperiod,Railways wasconceived and operatedas an auxiliarywingof the Army.It was alsorealizedthat by virtueof its complexnature,Railwaysrequired a highleveiof discipline andefficiency to be ableto performits roleas the prime transportmode.Railways is an operational organization requiredto be run round the clockthroughthe year. Railwayemployeeshave to work in inhospitable conditions,bravingextremeweather,unfriendlylaw and order scenario,and inherentrisksassociated with the Railwayoperationsitself.As in the Armed Forces,many"have to stay away from their familiesfor long periodswhile performing dutiesin areaswhereadequate facilities are lacking. I feel that there is considerable merit in the contentionof the Staff Federations. Besidesthe criticaland complexnature of duties of Railway employees, the hazardsinvolvedare alsohigh.Despitebesteffortsfor enhanced safetymeasures, a largenumberof Railwayemployees losetheir livesor meet with seriousinjuriesin the courseof performance of theirdutieseachyear.

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to October2011,the numberof Railwayemployees d 2007-08 ilrring the perio more than numberof killedduring the courseof their duty has been pubtickilledin Rail relatedaccidentsincluding ;:',=,!r;;rriJrn"r membersof whirethe natureof dutiesof Railway revercrossings. at unmanned accidents of highriskduringp.u." time,theyalsoperformfunctions is inherently employees in movingmen calamities, durfngirar timeandtimesof natural importance critical and commodities of essential suppry the countryto maintain across andmateriars of the nation. integrity safeguard to consider In my view, there are adequategioundsfor the Government of implications exemptionfor Railwayemployeesfrom the purviewof NPS'The years wouldreduceoverthe nextfew expenditure this wouldbe that Government underthe NPS,but the long contribution of Government throughdiscontinuance in the definedbenefit wourdincrease,as financiarcommitments term riabirities the pensionschemewourd be higher.since Rairwaysare requiredto meet pensionaryoutgo from their internalresources,switchoverto definedbenefit the Pension provisioning*under pensionschemewourdcailfor a moresystematic with Railrariff Authority measures. revenuegenerating Fundthroughappropriate on the horiion,I'believethat thiswouldbe possible. fro-T In the light of the above,i suggestthat our requestfor exemption and necessaryapprovals operationor [rre Nps be considereJ-sympathetically communicated. is enclosed. A copyof eachdemandsraisedby the two Federations With regards,

Yours

ShriP.Chidambaram, Minister, Finance of India, Government NorthBlock, N e wD e l h i - 1 1 0 0 0 1 .

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