Enhancement of Fixed Medical Allowance (FMA) for pensioners & family pensioners: IRTSA

Enhancement of Fixed Medical Allowance (FMA) for pensioners & family pensioners: IRTSA Memo to Secretary Finance (Expenditure)

INDIAN RAILWAYS TECHNICAL SUPERVISORS ASSOCIATION

No: IRTSA/ CHQ/ FMA/2022-3

Date: 25.04.2022

Secretary Finance (Expenditure),
North Block,
New Delhi – 110001

Respected Sir,

Sub: Enhancement of Fixed Medical Allowance (FMA) for pensioners & family pensioners.

Ref: Recommendations of 110″ report on “Pensioner’s Grievances-Impact of Pension Adalats and Centralized Pensioners Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPENGRAMS)”

1. We seek your kind intervention to consider and revise FMA as per the recommendations of 110th report on “Pensioner’s Grievances-Impact of Pension Adalats and Centralized Pensioners Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPENGRAMS)”.

2. At present Fixed Medical Allowance (FMA) Rs.1000 per month is granted to the Railway pensioners/Family Pensioners residing in areas beyond 2.5 Kms of Railway Hospital/Health Unit for meeting expenditure on their day-to-day medical expenses that do not require hospitalization.

3. The present rate of Rs.1000 per month is inadequate considering the increased cost of medicine and medical supplies.

4. In para 3.21 of 110th report on “Pensioner’s Grievances-Impact of Pension Adalats and Centralized Pensioners Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPENGRAMS)” submitted to Parliament on 10th December 2021, it was recommended that, “The Committee takes note of the fact that Fixed Medical Allowance is granted to pensioners who reside outside the CGHS areas for meeting expenditure on day-to-day medical expenses (OPD) that do not require hospitalization. The Committee also takes note of the request of Pensioners’ Associations for enhancement of Fixed Medical Allowance from Rs 1000 to Rs 3000 per month as most pensioners are suffering from different diseases at old age and are unable to manage with meagre pension as CGHS hospital is not available in every town. The Committee recommends DoPPW to take up this issue of enhancement of Fixed Medical Allowance with the Finance Ministry as Rs 1000 is a very meagre amount for an old age pensioner and apprise the views of the Finance Ministry to the Committee in its Action Taken Replies”.

5. It is therefore requested that, Fixed Medical Allowance (FMA) may please be enhanced to Rs.3000 per month.

Thanking you

Yours’ faithfully,

(Harchandan Singh),
General Secretary, IRTSA

Copy to

1) Secretary Department of Personnel & Training, North Block, New Delhi – 110 001
2) Additional Secretary, Department of Expenditure, Room No. 39A, North Block, New Delhi – 110001
3) Principal Executive Director (Staff), Room No 208, Rail Bhavan, New Delhi- 110001
4) Secretary Establishment, Railway Board, Room No 227, Rail Bhavan, New Delhi – 110001

Source: IRTSA