Maharashtra allows retired employees to retain government housing for children’s education

The Maharashtra government on Friday announced that it has allowed retired employees to retain government accommodation beyond retirement if their children are pursuing school educationHowever it introduced stricter safeguards to prevent employees transferred outside Mumbai from continuing to occupy official residencesUnder the new decision a retired employee whose child is studying in Classes 1 to 12 can retain government accommodation until the end of the childrsquos academic year subject to submission of prescribed documents and payment of licence fees at five times the existing rate reported PTIThe provision applies to government residences under the General Administration Department GAD in Mumbai as well as other government accommodation across the state the order saidAccording to PTI the state government said that the measure was being introduced in line with provisions concerning the vacation of government accommodation by retired employees The rules will also apply to employees who have been compulsorily retired or dismissed from serviceDifferent timelines based on retirement dateFor employees retiring between January and June the extended stay will be permitted until the end of June of the same year if their child is pursuing school educationEmployees retiring between July and December can retain the accommodation until the end of June of the following calendar year For instance an employee retiring between July and December 2026 can stay until June 30 2027The government made it clear that the accommodation must be vacated immediately after the permitted period Failure to do so will invite action under its June 3 2026 government resolution GR governing the vacation of official residencesStricter rules for employees transferred outside MumbaiIn a separate order issued on Friday the government moved to plug another loophole involving employees transferred from Mumbai to other parts of the stateThe GAD noted that employees of regional offices under various ministerial departments are allotted government accommodation in Mumbai according to their entitlement However some continue to occupy the residences even after being transferred outside Brihanmumbai reported PTIIn several cases the concerned department or the Public Works Department PWD is not informed about the transfer making it difficult to initiate actionTransfer orders to be linked to government housingTo address this departments must flag the transfer orders of employees who have been paying licence and service charges for government accommodation through salary deductions when they are transferred outside MumbaiThe concerned drawing and disbursing officer will also have to obtain a certificate from the GAD confirming that the employee has vacated the government residenceThe certificate must accompany the employeersquos final salary bill and be sent to the office where the employee has been transferred the news agency reportedNo allowances until accommodation is vacatedUntil the certificate is obtained the employee will not be eligible for house rent allowance or the travelling allowance payable after transfer from the new officeIf such allowances are paid despite the requirement the amount will be recovered from the concerned drawing and disbursing officer the government said reported PTIThe government has also prescribed a certificate for employees who were transferred to Mumbai but never took possession of government accommodationTheir drawing and disbursing officers will have to certify that they were not availing themselves of such accommodation when they are subsequently transferred outside MumbaiBoth orders will apply to government residences under the GAD in Mumbai as well as all other government residences across Maharashtra it saidWith PTI inputs