Road Mileage Allowance on Duty Moves – Prior Sanction for road Journeys between places connected by rail: IHQ MoD(Army) Order

Road Mileage Allowance on Duty Moves – Prior Sanction for road Journeys between places connected by rail: IHQ MoD(Army) Order dated 14.08.2024

Dte Gen of Op Logistics & SM
ADG Strat Mov / Mov C&D
IHQ of MoD(Army)/ GS Branch
Room No. 212 B, D-1 Wing
Sena Bhawan, New Delhi – 110011

No. B/89621/RMA/Mov C

14 Aug 2024

HQ Northern Comd (Q) HQ Eastern Comd (Q) HQ A&N Comd (Q)
HQ Western Comd (Q) HQ Southern Comd(Q) HQ ARTRAC
HQ Central-Comd (Q) HQ SW Comd (Q) HQ SFC

ROAD MILEAGE ALLOWANCE ON DUTY MOVES

1, Please refer to Min of Finance OM No. 19030/1/2017-E.IV dated 13 July 2017 duly extended to the Armed Forces vide MoD letter No. 12630/Mov C/242/D(Mov)/2017 dated 15 Sep 2017.

2. As per the revised travel entitlements, as Stipulated in the above MoF order, in case of journey between places not connected by rail, travel by AC bus (for those who are entitled to travel by AC-Il and above by train) and by deluxe / ordinary bus for others, is allowed. However, for road travel between places connected by rail, travel by any means of public transport is allowed provided the total fare does not exceed the train fare by the entitled class.

3. However, under the provisions of Para 40 of TR-2014, Competent Authority may, for special reasons, which should be recorded, permit mileage allowance for road journey on a route other than the shortest or the cheapest. In this connection, it may be noted that for a journey performed by motor car between places connected by rail, the Competent Authority should decide whether the full RMA be allowed or whether it should be limited to admissible rail fare, on the principle that whether any public interest was served by the road journey which would not have been served had the individual travelled by rail.

4. In view of the foregoing, salient aspects with regard to journey by road on temporary duty and permanent transfer, are listed below for strict compliance:-

(a) Sanction should not be accorded in all cases of travel by road, since it is a Special provision.

(b) Long distance road moves on temporary duty between places connected by rail should generally be avoided unless it is in absolute public interest.

(c) Para 40 of TR does not have any provision for ex-post facto sanction. The permission to travel by road on duty and claim RMA / admissible rail fare, should be obtained prior undertaking journey.

(d) To allow RMA for road Journeys between places connected by rail, the sanction should be based on what public interest is being served by the road journey.

(e) The details of public interest served by the road journey should be recorded in the Standard Format, as attached herewith, for admittance of claim in audit. Merely stating “the move is in the interest of public service / public interest” will not suffice the audit requirement. This would be applicable for both temporary duty and permanent transfer.

(f) All claims for road moves on duty undertaken wef 04 Aug 2024 shall be accompanied by the sanction of the Competent Authority as per the above Standard Format.

5. This supercedes our earlier letter of even No. dt 30 Jul 24.

6. The above may please be given wide circulation for Strict compliance please.

(Aparajita Srivastava)
Dy Director / Mov C&D
For ADG Strat Mov

Annexure ‘A’

PRIOR SANCTIONFOR TRAVEL BY RAOD, INSTEAD OF TRAVEL BY TRAIN/ AIR UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF NOTE 2 UNDER TRAVEL REGULATIONS RULE 40

1. Under the provisions of Rule 40 and delegation of power under Appendix III of Travel Regulations, sanction of ______________ (Competent Authority), is hereby accorded/ conveyed for the movement of the officer as per details given below:-

2. It is certified that the road journey has been performed in the public interest which would not have been served had the above named officer travelled by rail / air.

Sanction No. _______
Date: ____________
Place: ____________

Name / Rank of the Competent Authority

Stamp

Round stamp of office