: Clarification regarding continuance of Widow Pass (WP) facility after demise of the Railway Servant and his/her spouse.-Rly Board
RBE No.64/2022
(RAILWAY
BOARD)
No.2022/E(W)/01/09 New
Delhi Dated 10.06.2022
The General Managers (P)
All Zonal Railways & Production Units.
Sub: Subject:Clarification regarding
continuance of Widow Pass (WP) facility after demise of the Railway Servant
and his/her spouse.
Ref: Reference: MCF/Raebare1i's letters No. MCF/RBL/Estt/PuFi1e/187/Pan-11 dated
09.12.2021 and 17902.2022.
Modern Coach Factory/Raebare1i vide their above cited letters have sought clarification on
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the aspect of
continuance of WP facility in favour of remaining beneficiaries after the death
of spouse of deceased Railway Servant stating that the extant Railway Servants
(Pass) Rules, 1986 (Second Edition - 1993) is silent in this regard. The
families which lost both the parents during COVID-19 pandemic and facing severe
hardships have also represented for continuance of WP facility. Requests have
also been received from All India Railwaymen's Federation and National
Federation of Indian Railwaymen for extending Pass facility in such cases.
Keeping the above and the provisions connected with WP facility in view, the
issue has been examined and with the approval of Competent Authority, it is
clarified that even after the demise of spouse of deceased Railway Servant, the
WP facility may be continued in the name of eldest beneficiary eligible to be
included in the WP in terms of extant Pass Rules. Other eligible members may
also be continued in the Widow Pass Account (WPA), as like before.
2.
In cases where WPA is closed or not even opened
but a family member of deceased Railway Servant is eligible to be a beneficiary
of WP, on receipt of application, the Pass Issuing 
Authority (PIA), where the WPA
existed or from where the deceased Railway Servant retired, may re-open the
closed WPA or open a new WPA, as the case may be. However, the entitled number
of Passes will be reckoned and issued only from the current Calendar Year.
3.
The Class of Pass, number of Passes and other
facilities/conditions shall be regulated by the rules prevalent for grant of WP
to the spouse at the time of demise of Railway Servant.
4.
The individual Family Identity Cards (FIC),
already issued with lifetime validity, as an eligible WP beneficiary, shall
continue to be valid. In cases where no such FIC is available with the eligible
beneficiary, fresh FIC may be issued.
5.
The WP facility will be discontinued in respect
of the beneficiary who becomes entitled to Pass facility on any account or
becomes ineligible for pass facility under any other provision of extant Pass
Rules.
6.
The Zonal Railways/PUs may bring this
clarification to the notice of all PIAS under their 
control and direct them to take
necessary action to settle the requests in this
regard on priority.
7.
This issues with the concurrence of the Finance
Directorate of the Ministry of Railways.
(V. Muralidharan)
Dy. Director Estt. (Welfare) — I
Railway Board
E-mail : ddewl@rb.railnet.gov.in
Phone : 011-23047203
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