CRI, Kasauli employees entitled to patient care allowance: CAT

Chandigarh bench of Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has directed Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, New Delhi and Director, Central Research Institute, Kasauli, Solan, Himachal Pradesh to grant Patient Care Allowance to the employees of Central Research Institute (CRI), Kasauli, from due date, with GPF rate of interest.

The tribunal has directed the ministry to comply with the order within 6 weeks from the date of receipt of certified copy of order.

The employees approached the tribunal through advocate KB Sharma for issuance of direction to the respondents to grant Patient Care Allowance. The applicants said that they are working as Multi-Tasking Staff from different dates in the CRI, Kasauli.

The Patient Care Allowance (PCA) was introduced in 1987 for Group C and D Non-Ministerial employees in certain healthcare-related institutions subject to the condition that no night weightage allowance sanction by the Central Government will be admissible to the employees working in the central government hospitals and the hospital under the Delhi Administration.

The allowance was initially set at Rs 80 and Rs 75 for Group C and D employees, respectively, but subsequently it was revised to Rs 700 and Rs 695 per month.

When PCA was denied to eligible employees at CRI, Kasauli, various employees approached the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT). The tribunal allowed the application and held the employees entitled to PCA.