Sunday, November 16, 2008

Memorandum to Hon'ble MOS (C&IT)

Memorandum submitted to the Hon'ble MOS(C & IT) by CHQ on 11.11.2008.

Respected Sir,

The Association would like to bring to the kind notice of the Hon’ble MOS (C&IT) the following pending issues relating to the cadre of Inspector and Assistant Superintendent Post for causing early necessary action.

(A) Implementation of Second Cadre Review :

The Second Cadre Review Committee (CRC) for the cadre of Inspectors and Assistant Superintendents Post was constituted in 1986 with a view to improve the decreasing promotional avenues of the cadre. The same was finalized in the year 1990 and orders were also issued. The scheme envisaged up-gradation of 245 posts of Inspectors and Assistant Superintendents Post to Superintendents in P.S. Gr. B on matching savings basis. But the orders are yet to be implemented. The proposal which has undergone several changes in principle is hanging for the past 18 years. This Association has taken passive and earnest efforts to persuade the Department to implement the second Cadre Review in the best acceptable format. The last initiative taken by the Department just before the announcement of Sixth Pay Commission has only ended with the advice from MOF to refer the proposal to Sixth CPC. In para 3.3.17of recommendation, the sixth CPC has categorically stated that “The Commission, as a general rule, has refrained from conducting cadre reviews of individual, services. Accordingly, demands made by individual service associations for cadre reviews have not been taken up”. During the past eighteen years many IPs and ASPs have retired without even reaching P.S. Gr. ‘B’ after more than 25 years of service as IP & ASP. This Association would like to place before the Hon’ble MOS(C&IT) that the officers in this Department have reaped the benefit of six cadre reviews. But the accepted recommendations of second cadre review are yet to be implemented. This Association requests the kind intervention of the Hon’ble MOS (C&IT) to expedite the implementation of second CRC. The Association also requests the Hon’ble MOS (C&IT) to cause constitution of the Third Cadre Review for this cadre which is long overdue.

(B) Sixth Pay Commission recommendations - inadequate appreciation:

The Hon’ble Sixth Pay commission has not done justice to the cadre of Inspector and Assistant Superintendent Post and Superintendent in Postal Services Gr. B. We are sorry to submit that the Commission did not evaluate the nature of job performed by different cadres and more so the cadre of Inspector and Assistant Superintendent Post and Superintendent in Postal Services Gr. B. As a result the cadre has been let down and clubbed with posts in the lower rung of the hierarchy that these cadres are expected to supervise.

The anomalies are briefly described below:

(i) Inspector Posts: 66.66 %of the posts of Inspector (Posts) are selected through a tough competitive Departmental examination wherein the Postal Assistants alone compete and 33.33 % are recruited through Staff Selection Commission. After Fifth Pay commission, the Inspectors were placed in the scale of pay 5500-175-9000 (S-10). Their scale of pay was more than the scale of pay for HSG II officials i.e 5000-150-8000 (S - 9). This was due to the fact that the job contents and expectations of Inspectors Posts were certainly distinct and carried higher responsibilities. The Inspector is required to supervise the functions of all operative staff including the supervisors in HSG II grade. But the sixth Pay Commission has done away with the distinctions by placing the Inspector Posts in the same Pay Band i.e PB -2 along with LSG, HSG II and TBOP & BCR Postal Assistants and the Grade pay of Rs 4200/- is the same for all those who hold the above posts. This has defeated the principle that the Supervisor should get more pay than those supervised.

While clubbing several pay scales, the Sixth Pay Commission has also made it clear that the cadres would be distinguished only by their distinct grade pay and not by their Pay Band. Placing operative staff /supervisors and Inspectors in the same Pay Band without even elementary distinctions in Grade pay has created functional disturbances and erosion in the command and control structure of the organization. It is but necessary to maintain the hierarchical distinctions between the cadre of Inspector Posts and the operative supervisors as before by at least upgrading their pay to the next higher pay scale equivalent to pre-revised scale of pay Rs. 7450 – 225 -- 11500 with corresponding grade pay i.e. Rs. 4600/- which is justified and which alone would only restore the functional efficiency badly needed to manage at the field level.

(ii) Assistant Superintendent Posts: Similarly, the Assistant Superintendents Post (Gazetted), a promotional post to the Inspector Posts and involving still higher responsibilities, in the pre-revised Pay Scale of pay 6500 - 10500 have also been placed in PB-2 with due up-gradation to the pre-revised scale of pay 7450 – 225 -- 11500 and they would also be getting Rs 4600/- as Grade Pay. This post conferred with Gazetted status carries higher responsibilities than the Postmasters in HSG I (non-Gazetted) in General line. Again, placing operative staff /supervisors and Assistant Superintendents in the same Pay Band without even elementary distinctions in Grade pay has created functional disturbances and erosion in the command and control structure of the organization. As higher pay Scale and corresponding Grade Pay for Inspector Posts are justified, the Association requests that the pay scale of Assistant Superintendents Post be up-graded to that of the pre-revised scale of pay Rs 7500 - 250 -12000 (S -14) with corresponding Grade pay of Rs 4800/-.

( iii ) Divisional Superintendents (P.S. Gr. B) Postal Superintendents (P.S. Gr. B) is a promotional post to IP/ASP cadre. It constitutes the vital managerial head at the crucial Divisional level. Majority of the Postal Divisions are managed by Superintendents in P.S. Gr. B, unlike the Section officers in other Departments/Ministries. Before sixth CPC, the Assistant Accounts officers were in the pay scale of Rs 7450- 11500 and the Accounts officers were in 7500 – 12000. But as a result of the recommendations of Sixth CPC, the pay scales of above cadres have been upgraded to 7500-12000 and 8000-13500 respectively. Similarly, the Section Officers in CSS who were in the pay scale of Rs 6500 – 10500, have been upgraded to 7500-12000 with further up-gradation to the pay scale of Rs 8000- 13500 after 4 years. Thus all the cadres in the Govt. and particularly in the Department of Posts have been given the benefit of upgradation to next higher pay scale. But the Superintendents in P.S. Gr. B manning vast Postal Divisions with nearly 700 staff working under him with huge responsibility of maintaining the service and also disciplinary powers has not been given due recognition and their pay scale remains at Rs. 7500 -12000 with non functional up-gradation to the pay scale of Rs 8000-13500 after 4 years. . The post of Assistant Accounts officers are now placed in the upgraded pay scale of Rs 7500-12000. But the duties and responsibilities of Assistant Accounts officers, with no administrative, financial or disciplinary powers are no where comparable to the Superintendents in P.S. Gr. B. In administrative offices, the Assistant Account officers are working under the control of Superintendents in P.S. Gr. B. Similarly, a BCR Postal Assistant directly under the administrative control of the Divisional Superintendent in P.S. Gr. B would also be in the same Pay Band i.e PB-2 as the Superintendents in P.S. Gr. B .

The non-upgradation of the pay scale of the Superintendents in P.S Gr.’B’ appears to be due to the fact that their pre-revised pay scale is incorrectly shown as Rs 6500-10500 against serial No. 5 under MOC&IT in Section II of Part ‘C’ of CCS (Revised Pay Rules) 2008 instead of Rs 7500-12000.

The recommendations of the 6CPC to upgrade the pay scale of several cadres has been accepted by the Govt. On the analogy adopted for HSG I (General line), Inspectors Posts, Assistant Superintendent Posts, Assistant accounts Officer, Accounts Officer etc., in order to render justice, the post of Superintendent P.S Gr. B should be upgraded to the pre-revised pay scale of Rs 8000-13500 w.e.f 1.1.2006 and fitment benefits accorded as per the upgraded revised scale of pay. This Association has already submitted a memorandum to the Department of Posts requesting to re-evaluate the cadre vis-à-vis the other operative posts and Accounts line officers and fix the justified higher scale of pay in proportion to the higher responsibilities they hold and discharge.

( C ) Project Arrow: The members of this Association are aware that our Hon’ble MOS(C&IT) is very eager and keen to transform all the Post Offices in to a vital network capable of serving the ‘Aam Admi’ with all the sophisticated services. The latest policy decisions relating to ‘Project Arrow’ are being faithfully implemented in the field level by this cadre alone. But at the grass roots level, it is the Inspectors and Assistant Superintendents Post who take the right initiative to implement this project. But it is a fact that the at the Sub Divisional level, there is no basic infrastructure to collect, correlate and implement the programme effectively due to absence of proper accommodation for sub divisional office, telephone, computers, internet service, clerical and Gr. D assistance. This Association therefore fervently requests the Hon’ble MOS (C&IT) to kindly intervene and include the up-gradation of Sub Divisional offices also on par with the post offices taken up for up-gradation under the ‘Project Arrow’ scheme.

This Association once again fervently requests the Hon’ble MOS (C&IT) to restore the lost ground so that they can function as effectively as ever and take active part in the process of quick transformation.

Yours sincerely,

/S. Samuel/ General Secretary

In para 7.6.14, the Sixth Pay Commission has recommended higher pay scale for Inspector Posts i.e. Rs. 6500-10500 accepting the demand of our Association that this post is analogous to the post Income Tax Inspectors of CBDT , which has been upgraded from Rs 5500 – 9000 to 6500-10500 w.e.f 1.7.2005. But the fixation for Inspector Posts is done only with reference to their pay in old pay scale i.e. 5500-9000, whereas the Inspectors Income Tax would be in an advantageous position by getting their pay fixed with reference to their upgraded pay scale i.e. 6500-10500. Thus the Inspector Posts would stand to lose Rs 1860 by way of initial fixation. Fixation with reference to their old pay scale would amount to perpetuation of injustice. Further as per the accepted recommendations of 6 CPC, the Inspector Post is placed in the upgraded pay scale of Rs 6500-10500. But as per serial No. 6 under MOC&IT Section II of Part ‘C’ of CCS (Revised Pay Rules) 2008, the pre-revised pay scale of Assistant Manager (MMS) is shown as Rs 6500-10500 with the upgraded scale as Rs 7450- 11500. This obviously means that while a Postal Assistant in Postal side, on promotion would be placed in the pay scale of Rs 6500-10500, but the Postal Assistant promoted from MMS would be placed in a higher pay scale of Rs 7450-11500.

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