1, As per extant instructions as contained in Para 244 of Indian Railway Establishment Code (IREC), Volume-I, Fifth Edition-1985, Third Reprint Edition-2008 reads with Para 1401 of Indian Railway Establishment Manual (IREM), Volume-I(Revised Edition-1989), First Reprint Edition-2009, permission to a Railway servant to submit an application in response to advertised post outside the Railways like to Departments outside the Government of India or under a State Government, shall not ordinarily be refused unless the head of the office or the department in which he is employed considers that the grant of permission would not be consistent with the interest of the public service . The competent authority should interpret the term “public interest” strictly subject to the condition that forwarding of application should be the rule rather than the exception. The cadre controlling authorities would consider each case from the point of view whether the Railway servant could be spared or not, no other general condition should be applied in taking a decision in the case.
2. One of the Federations eg. NFIR has brought to notice of Railway Board that Technical Staff (Senior Supervisors & Supervisors ) working in Civil, Mechanical, Electrical and S&T Departments are not being released, on their selection, to various PSUs and other Government Organizations on deputation basis leading to create avoidable hardship to such staff.
3. The matter has accordingly been considered and Ministry of Railways wish to state that while following the procedure as contained in Board’s letter No. E(NG)I-96/AP/2(2) dated 16.08.1999 and other service conditions as contained in paras 1402 to 1412 of Indian Railway Establishment Manual (IREM), Volume-I(Revised Edition-1989), First Reprint Edition-2009, the compliance of above instructions may also be ensured to enable Railway Technical Staff to get exposure of working outside the Railways on deputation basis or otherwise and improve their performance/knowledge on return to parent Department.
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