(1) Category-I—One fare of the first class or, if there is no first class available, then one fare of the class by which the government servant actually travels, whichever is less, and an allowance for incidental expenses at 3.5 paise per kilometre.

Where second class air-conditioned sleeper coach is available in a train, the following officers of Category-I, who are not entitled to travel by first class air-conditioned coach, may travel at their discretion, in second class air-conditioned sleeper coach and will be entitled to reimbursement of the actual fare including surcharge:–

(a) those drawing pay more than Rs. 1,850 in the revised (1979-80) scales;

(b) those drawing pay more than Rs. 1,500–(i) in the unrevised scales, or (ii) who have not opted to elect the revised (1979-80) scales.

Category-II—For those government servants drawing pay of Rs. 701 per mensem or more, one fare of the first class or, if there is no first class availble, then one fare of the class by which government servant actually travels, whichever is less, and an allowance for incidental expenses at 3 paise per kilometre.

Category-III—For those government servants drawing pay of Rs. 650 per mensem or more, one fare of the first class or, if there is no first class available, then one fare of the class by which the government servant actually travels, whichever is less, and for those drawing pay of Rs. 320 and more, but less than Rs. 650, one fare of the second class and an allowance for incidental expenses at 2 paise per kilometre in both cases.

Category-IV—One fare of the second class and an allowance for incidental expenses calculated at 1 paisa per kilometre.

NOTE—In cases in which the rate of incidental expenses admissible to government servants on the basis of the classification in the old scales of pay is reduced as a result of the classification in the new scales of pay, the government servants concerned shall not draw incidental expenses at a rate lower than what they were entitled to according to the old classification but daily allowance will be regulated on the basis of pay in the revised scales as admissible under the rules.

Exception 1—Non-gazetted members of the police force when escorting State prisoners who are allowed to travel by a class which is higher than that to which the former are entitled, shall be allowed in respect of journeys by rail—

(i) a single railway fare of the class by which the State prisoner actually travels, in lieu of the single railway fare of the class to which they are entitled, plus

(ii) the other additional allowances for journeys by rail which may be admissible to them at the rates prescribed in the rules.

Exception 2—[Deleted.]

Exception 3—[Deleted.]

Exception 4—The personal staff of the Ministers, the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly and the Chairman of the Legislative Council, not entitled to travel by the first class, may travel by that class, when undertaking a rail journey on official work with the Minister or the Speaker or the Chairman, as the case may be, and draw one fare of the first class plus an allowance for incidental expenses ordinarily admissible to them.

Exception 5—[Deleted.]

(2) For the purpose of this rule accommodation shall be regarded as not available if no train possessing that accommodation stops at the station where the government servant travelling desires to alight, or when the accommodation permissible by this rule is available on some trains but not on others and a government servant has, in the interest of government work which must be certified by the controlling officer, to travel by a train in which it is not available. A government servant of the Category—IV shall, however, in no case be allowed a higher class accommodation than second class.

(3) When through booking involves the payment for part of a journey of rates for a class higher than is permissible under the rule, the government servant is entitled to accommodation for that part by the higher class.

Audit Instruction—This clause should be interpreted as allowing a government servant the benefit of higher class fare for the entire journey only in cases where the railway company does not issue a through ticket for the class to which the government servant is entitled for the portion of the line, and for a higher class over another line or railway which does not provide accommodation of the former class.

NOTE—The above audit instruction will not be applicable to a government servant who has sufficient time to purchase fresh tickets at an intermediary station where he has to change trains. In such a case the government servant should purchase separate tickets for the portions of a journey on different railways as he will be entitled only to the fares permissible under sub-clause (A) (1) of this rule.

(4) [Deleted.]

(5) When a government servant is entitled to or is allowed free transit by rail, his travelling allowance must be reduced by the amount of the fare or fares which but for such free transit he would have paid, as shown on his pass. But if he did not use the pass in respect of one or more of the fares which it covered, a deduction in respect of that fare or fares will not be made, provided the government servant gives a certificate that he did not use the pass for that fare or fares.

(6) When a government servant travels at a concessional rate his mileage allowance will be restricted to the actual cost of the railway ticket plus an allowance for incidental expenses calculated at the rate admissible to him under clause (1) of this rule. In cases where concessional fares are allowed for return journeys, the mileage allowance for the return journey will be limited to the actual cost of the return ticket plus an allowance for incidental expenses calculated at the rate admissible to him under clause (1) of this rule each way.

NOTE—The expression "actual cost" occurring in the second sentence of the above rule includes the deduction to which a claim from the railway for refund of the cost of the unused return half of a ticket is subject. A claim for recovery of this amount from the Government should be supported by a certificate signed by the controlling officer to the effect that he is satisfied that the government servant concerned was prevented from utilising the return half of his ticket for reasons which should be stated. At the same time the claimant should produce documentary proof to show that his claim for refund of the unused return half of the ticket from the railway was subject to or would have been subject to percentage deduction had the claim for refund been allowed.

(7) All claims for full mileage allowance for travel by railway must be supported by a certificate in one of the following forms according to the circumstances:

"Certified that concessional rates were not obtainable for any of the journeys covered by this bill."

Or,

"Certified that the concessional rates obtainable for the journeys on (date) could not be availed of for the following reasons:

____________________

____________________"

23 (AA). Travelling by air-conditioned coach at public expense in railway train, where such a facility is available, is admissible only to those government servants drawing pay of Rs. 2,600 per mensem or above in the revised (1979-80) scales of pay. The above concession is admissible for journeys on tour only and not for journeys on transfer.

NOTE—1 The facility of travel by rail in air-conditioned coach will also be admissible to such government servants (including officers of All India Services) whose scales of pay have not been revised or, if revised, they have opted to retain their old scales of pay, and are in receipt of pay of Rs. 2,000 per mensem or more.