India's Ministry of Finance Declines to Review HRA Policy for Married Central Government Employees

The Ministry of Finance clarified that there is no proposal to amend the House Rent Allowance (HRA) rules for married central government employees when one spouse occupies government‑provided accommodation. Under current regulations, HRA is payable only to employees who do not have government housing; if either spouse receives such accommodation, the family is deemed housed and the other spouse is ineligible for the allowance.

In response to a Rajya Sabha unstarred question on 4 August 2026, Minister of State Pankaj Choudhary confirmed that no representations have been received from employees or service associations seeking a change, and that the government has no plan to review the policy for greater equity.