Railway Housing
Railway Housing
Key Information
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| 1. Nodal Ministry | Ministry of Railways (Railway Board) |
| 2. Policy Name | Railway Quarters Allotment & Management Rules, 2023 (latest revision) |
| 3. Types of Quarters | Type-I to Type-VII (Type-VII = GM/PHOD level) |
| 4. Eligibility | Permanent railway employees with ≥ 1 yr service |
| 5. Allotment Authority | Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) / Works Manager in Production Units |
| 6. Waiting-List Maintenance | IR-Computerised Quarter Allotment System (IR-CQAS) |
| 7. License Fee Deduction | Source-automatic from salary on 1st working day of month |
| 8. Standard Rent Formula | 10% of Basic Pay (7th CPC) + DA thereon |
| 9. HRA in-lieu | Paid when quarter not available within 8 km of duty point |
| 10. Retention on Transfer | 2 months on normal transfer; 4 months on mutual/illness |
| 11. Vacation Notice | 30 days notice or 1 month license fee in lieu |
| 12. Unauthorized Occupation | Attracts Railway Services (Conduct) Rules, 1966 – penalty eviction |
| 13. Maintenance Agency | Engineering Department (Open Line) / Estate Officer (Production Units) |
| 14. Quarters built by | Railway’s Own Construction Organisation / Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) PPP |
| 15. Green Quarters Initiative | GRIHA-IV rated colonies at 17 locations (e.g., Bhubaneswar, Secunderabad) |
| 16. Quarter Allotment Committee | DRM (Chair), FA&CAO, Sr.DEN, SPO, SC/ST Representative |
| 17. Priority-I Category | Safety category staff (Loco Pilots, Guards, Trackmen) |
| 18. Quarter Exchange Rule | Allowed intra-division with equal/similar type & no rent loss |
| 19. Condemnation Norms | > 30 yrs old & Structural Safety Index < 40 % |
| 20. Rental Income (FY 24) | ₹ 1,847 cr credited to Railway Revenue Receipt Head-3004 |
Important Points
- License fee is compulsorily recovered even if the employee proceeds on leave < 180 days.
- Railway quarters cannot be sub-let; doing so invites disciplinary action.
- Type-IV & above quarters are allotted only to Group-B officers and above.
- Quarters are exempt from Income-Tax perquisite valuation if occupation is mandatory for discharge of duties.
- Retention beyond permissible period is charged double the standard rent.
- On deputation, employee must vacate within 15 days failing which eviction proceedings start.
- RLDA is constructing 40,000 additional units under “Railway Housing 2047” mission.
- 5% quota reserved for physically handicapped employees in fresh allotment.
- Smart quarter colonies have 100% LED street-lighting & prepaid water meters.
- Emergency repairs (burst pipe, power) are attended within 4 hrs through 24×7 control room.
- Quarters are insured under “Railway Assets Insurance Fund” for fire/earthquake.
- Annual inspection by a committee of AGM/PCPO level ensures habitability.
Practice MCQs
Question:01 Who is the competent authority to allot Type-V quarters in a Division?
A) Chief Personnel Officer (CPO)
B) Divisional Railway Manager (DRM)
C) Senior Divisional Engineer (Sr. DEN)
D) Station Director
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: As per Railway Board’s 2026 allotment rules, the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) is the sole competent authority empowered to sanction and allot Type-V quarters within a division.
Question:02 Standard licence fee for a railway quarter is calculated as ____ of basic pay + DA.
A) 5 %
B) 8 %
C) 10 %
D) 12 %
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: As per Railway Board guidelines effective 2026, the standard licence fee for occupation of railway quarters is fixed at 10 % of the sum of basic pay and dearness allowance.
Question:03 Maximum period an employee can retain a railway quarter after normal transfer is
A) 1 month
B) 2 months
C) 3 months
D) 6 months
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: As per Railway Board guidelines, an employee is allowed to retain the quarter for a maximum of 2 months from the date of normal transfer.
Question:04 Which category of railway staff is accorded Priority-I in the allotment of railway quarters?
A) Running staff
B) Safety category staff
C) Accounts staff
D) Medical staff
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: As per the 2026 Railway Quarter Allotment Rules, Safety category staff are placed under Priority-I to ensure their immediate availability for safety-critical duties.
Question:05 Quarters older than how many years are considered for condemnation?
A) 20 years
B) 25 years
C) 30 years
D) 35 years
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: As per railway norms, residential quarters that have completed 30 years of service life are reviewed for condemnation.
Question:06 The computerised system that maintains the waiting list for railway quarters is called
A) IR-CMS
B) IR-CQAS
C) IR-PRIME
D) IR-QUARTER
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: IR-CQAS (Indian Railways – Computerised Quarter Allotment System) is the dedicated software used to manage and maintain the waiting list/allotment of railway residential quarters.
Question:07 When no railway quarter is available within 8 km, the employee is entitled to
A) CCA in-lieu
B) HRA in-lieu
C) Special Compensatory Allowance
D) Transport Allowance
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: As per Railway Board’s 2026 policy, if a railway quarter is not provided within 8 km of the place of posting, the employee is granted House Rent Allowance (HRA) in-lieu of the quarter.
Question:08 [RLDA builds quarters under which model?]
A) BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer)
B) PPP / Joint-development model
C) EPC (Engineering-Procurement-Construction)
D) Cost-plus-fee model
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: The Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) constructs railway quarters by leveraging the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) or Joint-development model, where private partners co-invest and share revenues.
Question:09 What percentage of quarters is reserved for physically handicapped employees?
A) 3 %
B) 5 %
C) 7 %
D) 10 %
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: As per Railway Board guidelines, 5 % of available railway quarters are earmarked for allotment to physically handicapped employees.
Question:10 Retention charge after the permissible period is ____ of standard rent.
A) Half
B) Equal
C) Double
D) Triple
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: As per railway rules, once the permissible retention period expires, the retention charge levied is double the standard rent.
BETA
