Clarification on admissibility of old duty station HRA when posted to/ from Field Areas/Modified Field Areas in MES

Old duty station HRA when posted to/ from Field Areas/ Modified Field Areas in MES – Clarification on Admissibility

Office of the Controller of Defence Accounts Guwahati
Udayan Vihar, Guwahati – 781171

NoPAY/ ORDER/ CIRCULAR/VOL.II

Date: : 29.08.2022

(THROUGH WEBSITE ONLY)

To

Area Accounts Office
Bivar Road
Shillong-793001

2. All AOGEs/AGEs

Subject: Clarification on admissibility of old duty station HRA when posted to/ from Field Areas/Modified Field Areas in MES

Please find enclosed PCDA(WC) Chandigarh letter No. Pay/II/Tech/Misc dated 16.03.2022. It is requested that the considered view and practice being followed in respect of the cases mentioned in the ibid letter may please be furnished to this office by 5th of September positively for onward transmission to PCDA(WC) Chandigarh.

GO(Pay Tech) has seen.

Encl: As above

ACCOUNTS OFFICER (PAY TECH)

PRINCIPAL CONTROLLER OF DEFENCE ACCOUNTS
(WESTERN COMMAND) CHANDIGARH

No. Pay/II/ Tech/Misc

Date: 16.03.2022

To

1. The PCDA (NC)
   Narwal Pain, Satwari
   Jammu – 180003.
2. The PCDA (SWC)
   24, Khatipura Rd
   Pariwahan Nagar
   Jaipur – 302012
3. The CDA
   Udayan Vihar
   Narangi, Guwahati
   Assam – 781171
4. The CDA
   Ridge Road
   Jabalpur
   MP – 482001.

Sub: Clarification on admissibility of old duty station HRA when posted to/from Field Areas/Modified Field Areas in MES.

Recently, on the above subject requests are received for grant of additional HRA of old duty station on the basis of GoI, MoD letter No.4(6)/2000/ D/(Civ-I) dated 21.09.2000. MES employees are claiming old duty station HRA on the basis of GoI, MoD letter No.4(6)/2000/ D/(Civ-I) dated 21.09.2000, wherein, it is mentioned that “Civilians transferred from a family station to a non-family Station in Field area are entitled to HRA at the rate applicable to the old duty station, provided the Govt servant is keeping his family in the house owned by him or in a rented accommodation at the old duty station, for the duration of his posting in the non-family station in the field area. The drawal of such HRA will be subject to the fulfillment of other conditions, laid down in MoD OM No. 4(1)/66D(Civ.I) dated  04.03.1966 as amended from time to time”. However, this office is not clear that whether as per extant a MoD orders civilian employees of MEs are entitled for additional HRA of old duty station or not as the MoD letter dated 21.09.2000, applied to the civilians paid from Defence Service Estimates working in the Defence establishment located in Field Areas/Modified Field Areas.

In view of the above, this issue was referred to HQrs. Office for seeking clarification. In response to this office letter, Hqrs. Office vide letter No.AT/Army-Br/A/Civ/2366/Misc. Allow/vol-I dated 17.02.2022 following has been stated:

1. As per MoD. letter dated 13.01.1994, field area has been defined as area where troops are deployed near the borders for operational requirement and where imminence of hostilities and associated risk to life exists. Troops in such areas are located for reasons of operational considerations alone and are not living in cantonments.
2. As regards to the place in question (i.e. Jhakri station), it is required to be confirmed whether the place is declared as Field/Modified field Area in terms of MoD letter No. 37269/AG/PS 3(a(/90/D(Pay/services) dated 13.01.1994.
3. Although the MoD letter dated 21.09.2000 does not have any mention about the non-grant of Field service concessions to the static units but any conclusion can be deduced only by reading MoD letter dated 21.09.2000 with letter MoD dated 13.01.1994, Para 5 of MoD letter dated 13.01.1994 clearly states that these allowances will not be admissible to Static formations/units i.e. Military Farms, MES Recruiting office, Training Centre & Establishment, NCC Directorates and units, TA units unless embodied &b Record offices and similar establishments.

Hqrs. Office has directed to re-examine the issue in terms of MoD letter dated 21.09.2000, MoD letter dated 13.01.1994 and Practice being followed in regulating such claims.

This office is of the opinion that benefit of grant of additional HRA of old duty station on the basis of GoI, MoD letter No.4(6)/2000/D/(Civ-I) dated 21.09.2000 should not be allowed to the MES employees posted at Jhakri station. However, it is requested that the considered view and practice being followed in respect of such type of cases may be furnished to this office for better appreciation in this issue please. It is also requested to forward the MoD letter No. 37269/AG/PS 3(a(/90/D(Pay/services) dated 13.01.1994 in case the same is available in your office.

ACDA (Pay)