1. In view of the utmost importance attached to the enhancement of women’s status in all walks of life and to enable them to lead a normal family life as also to ensure the education and welfare of the children, the instructions regarding posting of husband and wife at the same station were issued vide Ministry of Railway’s letter No. E[NG]II/71/TR/14 dated 01.10.71, as reiterated in letter No. E[NG]I-86/TR/14 dated 06.01.88. Pursuant to a recommendation of the 5th CPC, the scope of these instructions was further widened and detailed guidelines were issued vide this Ministry’s letter No. E[NG]I-97/TR/28 dated 05.11.97 in a consolidated form.
2. In the context of the need to make concerted efforts to increase representation of women in Central Government jobs, these guidelines have been reviewed to see whether the instructions could be made mandatory. It has been decided vide Deptt. of Personnel & Training’s O.M. No. 28034/9/2009-Estt[A] dated 30.09.2009 that when both spouses are in the same Central Service or working in same Deptt. and if posts are available, they may mandatorily be posted at the same station.
3. The guidelines, as framed by DOP&T in view of the 6th CPC, have been examined in this Ministry and it has been decided to adopt these with certain modifications. Accordingly provisions of guidelines issued under Board’s letter dated 05.11.97 ibid have been modified as under:
a. Where both the spouses are railway employees and belong to the same seniority units:
The husband & wife, if working in the same Department and if the required level of post is available, should invariably be posted together in order to enable them to lead a normal family life and look after the welfare of their children especially till the children attain 18 years of age. This will not apply on appointment under Central Staffing Scheme. Where only wife is a Government servant, the above concessions shall be applicable to the Govt. servant. Hence both the railway servants may be posted at the same station /place ensuring that one of them does not work as subordinate to the other.
b. Where both the spouses are railway servants but belong to different seniority units.
Efforts may be made to post both the railway servants at the station where posts at appropriate level exist in the respective seniority units failing which requests for change of the category may be considered sympathetically keeping in view all other relevant rules in the matter.
c. Where one of the spouses is a railway servant and the other belongs to All India Service or another Central Service.
The Railway servant should be posted at station/place in the Railway /Division/PU in whose territorial jurisdiction the place /state of posting of his/her spouse falls or as close to it as possible if there is no Railway Organisation /post at the place/state of posting of the spouse.
d. Where one of the spouses is a railway servant and the other belongs to a State Service.
The Railway servant should be posted at the station/place in the Railway /Division/PU in whose territorial jurisdiction the place /state of posting of his/her spouse falls. If it is not possible, if a request from the railway servant to the Controlling Authority of the spouse for his /her posting at the place of posting of the railway servant is received the same may be forwarded to the concerned authority for sympathetic consideration.
e. Where one of the spouses is a railway servant [ All India Service] and the other is working in a Central/State/Public Sector Undertaking/Autonomous Body/Private Sector:
The Railway servant may apply to the controlling Authority for a posting at the place of posting of his/her spouse which may be considered favourably by the competent authority. If no post is available for posting of the railway servant at the place of posting of the spouse he/she may be posted to a place closer to the place of posting of the spouse. If this also is not possible application from the railway servant for posting of the spouse who is working in the Central/State/Public Sector Undertaking may be forwarded to the controlling authority of the spouse for his / her posting at or near the place of the railway servant.
4 Complaints are sometimes received that even if posts are available in the station of posting of the spouse, the administrative authorities do not accommodate the employees citing administrative reasons. In all such cases, the cadre controlling authority should strive to post the employee at the station of spouse and in case of inability to do so, specific reasons, therefor, may be communicated to the employee.
5. Although, normal channels of representations/complaints redressal mechanism exists, added safeguards to prevent non-compliance may be provided by ensuring that the complaints against non-adherence to the instructions are decided by the authorities at least one level above the authorities which took the original decision when they are below the SAG level/Head of PUs. All such representations should be considered and disposed off in a time bound manner.
6. While all out of efforts may be made to post the husband and wife at the same station, instructions issued by the Board from time to time in regard to request transfer/Change of category should be followed in all such cases. A separate register may be maintained at each Divisional and Zonal headquarters of the Railways for registering requests for transfers from railway servants for posting at the place of posting of their spouses, which may be reviewed from time to time, by competent authority.