Creation of Postmasters' Cadre in the context of
Promotional Avenues of Group – C Employees in India Post
Without separate status and Grade Pay
creation of Postmasters’ Cadre is completely meaningless.
Dear friends,
You are aware that with due clearance from the Postal Board and approval from DoP&T, Department of Posts vide its Order No. 13 – 2 / 2010 – PE – I, dated 03.02.2010 created Postmasters Cadre with amendment of Recruitment Rules. 2097 LSG Postmasters , 511 HSG-II postmasters , 495 HSG-I postmasters have been designated as Postmaster Grade –I, Postmaster Grade – II and Postmaster Grade – III respectively and 116 PSS Group-B posts have been designated as Senior Postmasters without any change of Pay Band and Grade Pay, i.e old wine in new bottle. The procedures to fill up these posts have not been spelt out in this order. Contradictorily, since no formal discussion on the creation of Postmasters' cadre was discussed with the Staff Side and that no details of the scheme was made known to them, National Federation of Postal Employees has protested the unilateral action of the Department. Moreover, this has also been included under Demand No. 6 ( Withdrawal of unilateral orders on piecemeal cadre restructuring of Postmasters' cadre until comprehensive Cadre Restructuring of PA/SA cadre is completed ) of the forthcoming indefinite strike call given by the All India Postal Joint Council of Action consisting of NFPE and FNPO Federations and their Affiliated Unions and Associations and the All India Postal Extra Departmental Employees Union & the National Union of Gramin Dak Sewaks commencing from 13th July, 2010. As if, the Staff Side and the Official Side are playing Hide and Sick with the creation of Postmaster’s cadre.
Before a detailed analysis on the issue, it may perhaps be justified to have a brief discussion on the promotional avenues of Group-C postal employees which have been floored so far.
Facts in Brief:
With a purpose to mitigate the stagnation and to widen the meagre promotional avenues in the cadre of Postal Assistant, the Staff Side and Official Side have been signing agreements bestowing upon us the various cadres coated with terminological inexactitudes so far. Without going into detail, I am just to say that you all know how the number of LSG posts were increased to the extent of 20 % by conversion of the existing Time Scale posts with effect from 01.06.1974 pursuant to agreement in the Departmental Council of JCM on 8.05.1974. Further, willing to tightening norms for sanction of staff and to give higher productivity, once again the Staff Side signed an agreement on 30.11.1983 with the Official Side to accept a very catchy and fashionable scheme i.e.; Time Bound One promotion ( TBOP ) on completion of 16 years service vide DG, P & T letter dated 17.12.1983 surrendering 5 % posts in Operative and 15 % posts in supervisory cadre. The introduction of this scheme also resulted in withdrawal of 1 / 3rd quota in LSG with effect from 01.01.1982, Charge Allowance, Special Pay etc. Again we accepted the Biennial Cadre Review ( BCR ) with effect from 01.10.1991 at the cost of 1 % posts in Operative and 5 % posts in supervisory cadre vide D G Post, New Delhi letter dated 11.10.1991. Under the scheme, incumbents of existing posts were enabled to draw pay in higher scale on completion of 26 years of service. To increase further promotional avenues, the Staff Side demanded creation of HSG – I posts to the extent of 10 % of HSG – II posts and the Department upgraded 1622 HSG – II posts to HSG – I on matching savings scheme vide Dte.’s Letter dated 30.03.2001. To widen the promotional avenues, the Department vide its notification dated 11.03.1988 introduced Department of Posts, Postal Superintendent / Postmasters Group – B Recruitment Rules, 1987 in supersession of Postal Superintendent Service Group-B posts ( Recruitment Rules ), 1979 and the Postmasters Service Group – B ( Recruitment Rules ) , 1986 according to which 96 % of the posts were required to be filled up from IPOs / ASPOs and 6 % from general line officials through limited Departmental examination from amongst the officials to HSG-I, HSG-II and LSG with 5 years of regular service in either or all the three cadres together. TBOP officials being treated as LSG and having 5 years of regular service were permitted to write the examination for promotion to PS Group-B. Further, in order to get the desired level of efficiency in the Supervisory cadre posts the Department introduced the Fast Track Promotion Scheme for P A / S A to fill up L S G / H S G – II posts in P Os / RMS offices vide Directorate’s letter dated 11.02.2002 according to which P As / S As having 16 years and 10 years of regular service will be eligible for promotion to LSG cadre through DPC to the extent of 33.34% and through Departmental Merit Examination to the extent of 66.66% respectively and LSG officials having 10 and 8 years of regular service in the cadre will be eligible for promotion to H S G – II cadre in the same manner. Examinations were conducted during 2003 and 2004 for two batches only and as many as 1118 qualified officials joined against norm based LSG posts throughout the nation. But when the senior employees of the Department were supervised by their juniors qualified under FTPS some sort of resentment was started and serious protest and mass agitations were registered to stop the scheme. Being pressurized , the Govt. finally deleted the FTPS – 2002 with effect from 18.05.2006 vide Directorate’s letter dated 30.05.2006.
Subsequently considering the recommendations of the Sixth Central Pay Commission in Para 6.1.15 for introduction of Modified Assured Career Progression Scheme(MACPS), the Government accepted the same with further modification to grant three financial upgradations under the MACPS with effect from 01.09.2008 at intervals of 10, 20 and 30 years of continuous regular service vide Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions(Department of Personnel and Training) No.35034/3/2008-Estt. (D), dated 19th May, 2009 and the same has since been implemented.
And now, lastly the creation of Postmaster’s cadre as discussed above which is yet to be implemented.
Counter Views:
1. While analyzing the promotional avenues starting from 20 % up-gradation of LSG to this proposed 3 ACP Scheme, I have noticed so many lapses especially on our Staff Side. As you all know, we are having 83696 posts of P As, 6904 LSG posts, 1622 HSG – II and 1622 HSG – I posts. So arithmetically, we have only 8.25 % of LSG posts in comparison to the strength of TSPA. Thus, it is evident that the contents of DG, P & T letter dated 15.06.74 with instruction to increase the number of LSG posts to the extent of 20 % by conversion of the existing Time Scale posts has not been strictly adhered to. In the recent past, D G ( Posts ) asked the Odisha Circle administration to intimate the year wise sanctioned strength of Time Scale Clerks in POs/RMS Offices since 1974 to 1983, number of norm based LSG posts from the year 1974 to 1983 and year-wise creation of LSG posts under 20% formula by conversion of the existing Time Scale posts since 1-6-1974 to 1983 etc. Here, the question is:- Why the issue is being undertaken for Odisha Circle only, when the CHQ is aware of the shortfall in creation 20 % supervisory posts through out the country? The issue has been raised after a lapse of 25 years since the scheme has been abolished with effect from 30.11.1983. Doesn’t it put a question on our consciousness and responsibility ? Where were we for the last 25 years ?
2. Similarly, after introduction of TBOP and BCR Scheme, as we have witnessed, in almost all correspondences and circulars issued by the Directorate to the lower functionaries, TBOP and BCR have always been treated at par with L S G and HGS – II respectively. The HSG – II officials after promotion under BCR Scheme with requisite years of service in HSG – II cadre were promoted to HSG – I cadre on the basis of seniority-cum fitness. Para – 5 of DG, P & T letter dated 17.12.1983 issued in connection with TBOP Scheme categorically states, “As soon as the Departmental Promotion Committees finalize the lists of officials who are to be promoted to the next higher grade, the head of the Circle will ensure that the basic grade posts are upgraded to the higher scale by issue of a formal sanction distributing the higher posts to different units so that such officials can be placed on the higher grades. Similarly, Para – 2 ( ii ) of D G Post, New Delhi letter dated 11.10.1991 issued in connection with BCR Scheme categorically states, “ Biennial Cadre Review will be applicable for only those cadres in Group – C and D for which scheme of One Time Bound Promotion on completion of 16 years of service in the basic grade is already in existence vide O M dated 17.12.1983….. ” Thus, it is quite evident that TBOP and BCR are basically offered and accepted as separate cadres. But unfortunately, the Department vide letter dated 23rd April, 2001 stated, “ Up-gradation under TBOP / BCR Schemes and promotion to LSG / HSG – II as per provisions of Recruitment Rules are two distinct matters” and clarifying the position the designations of the operative officials at various stages of their career ware issued which distinguished the TBOP from LSG and BCR from HSG-II. In spite of several court judgments treating LSG and TBOP one and same, the Department is not ready to accept it. We are still struggling with a hope that at all the cadre restructuring proposal is accepted, the anomalies in this regard may be addressed. In addition, we have also witnessed how the TBOP officials having five years of regular service earlier permitted to write the PS Group – B examination were denied this time. Though, many such officials could be able to sit in the examination with direction of the Courts, their results are not being published.
3. Further, to be very honest, the Fast Track Promotion Scheme introduced during 2002 for promotion to LSG and HSG-II through 1/3rd DPC and 2/3rd Examination quota with proper knowledge and consent of the Staff Side was subsequently demanded for deletion by the Staff Side. Mass agitation was manufactured – stop, stop and stop FTPS. As I recollect, due to delay in publication of results of the above examinations, the Staff Side expressed its reactions and wrote to DG(Posts) several times for early publication of the said results. The letters wrote by the Secretary General, NFPE and General Secretary, AIPEU, Group-C, CHQ have been published in several issues of Postal Crusader and Bhartiya Post. Thus, it is quite evident that the Staff Side which was in favour of the FTPS Scheme in the beginning took a back step subsequently to withdraw. Is it not childish first to accept and then to deny ?
4. Further, while accepting TBOP / BCR scheme , as everybody knows, we have already sacrificed a good number of posts and consequent upon acceptance of the new ACP scheme, the present system of TBOP / BCR scheme has been done away with. Neither we have demand for return of those posts nor the Govt. rethought ever in this regard. But as it is evident, the same problems of financial up-gradation and promotion continued side by side as was continuing in case of TBOP – BCR and LSG – HSG-II – HSG-I treating the later as line of promotion in which a TBOP / BCR official was not allowed to work with financial benefit.
5. In addition, Para 10 of Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions(Department of Personnel and Training) letter No.35034/3/2008-Estt. (D), dated 19th May, 2009 granting 3 MACP has categorically specified that no stepping up of pay in the pay band or grade pay would be admissible with regard to junior getting more pay than the senior on account of pay fixation under MACP Scheme and similarly, it is clarified under Para 11 of the above letter that no past cases would be re-opened. Further, while implementing the MACP Scheme, the differences in pay scales on account of grant of financial upgradation under the old ACP Scheme (of August 1999) and under the MACP Scheme within the same cadre shall not be construed as an anomaly. Thus, serious resentments are mushrooming amongst the senior employees who are now getting less pay than their juniors due to 3 MACP Scheme.
6. Since the LSG, HSG-II and HSG-I continue as line of promotion, the officials with such promotion are shouldering additional responsibilities of supervisors in comparison to officials conferred with 10, 20 and 30 ACP with equivalent scale. Situation has now arisen when an LSG official supervises the official conferred with 20 / 30 ACP and getting higher Grade Pay than the former. It is worth mentioning here that Note 2 below Resolution No. 1/1/2008/1 C (iii) , dated 29.08.2008 issued by Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance ( The Gazette of India, Extraordinary No. 304 issued in connection with implementation of recommendations of 6th CPC ) categorically specifies that Grade Pay will determine the seniority only. Thus, the matter is certainly serious and contradictory to note that an employee drawing lower Grade Pay is supervising an employee drawing higher Grade Pay only due to the implementation of 3 MACP Scheme.
7. It is also highly surprising to note that as to why an L S G / HSG-II / HSG – I official will shoulder additional responsibilities either without any additional allowances or without any separate scale than the officials upgraded under the proposed 10, 20 and 30 ACP Scheme. Though there is little murmuring among the Staff Side without pressure and importance for grant of supervisory allowance to the officials performing supervisory work either as an LSG / HSG-II / HSG – I or as a ACP official , nobody has not yet thought to claim for separate scales of pay or Grade Pay for an L S G / HSG-II / HSG – I officials than the ACP officials.
8. However, soon after the receipt of the information that the Department is positively recommending to Ministry of Finance to enhance the Grade Pay for IPOs & ASPOs & Group 'B' to 4600/-; 4800/- & 5400/- respectively, NFPE, vide its letter No. Pf-14/2010, dated 19th January 2010 though demanded an identical enhancement of Grade Pay to be recommended for HSG-II / BCR [ from 4200 to 4600/-] and HSG-I [ from 4600 to 4800/-] & for Group 'B' from 4800 to 5400/- to protect the horizontal and vertical relativity between HSG-II / BCR / HSG-I and IPOs / ASPOs, no positive response has yet been received from the Official Side. At all it is acceded to, it is still doubtful if the proposed Grade Pays can differentiate the LSG, HSG-II and HSG-I officials from 10 ACP, 20 ACP and 30 ACP respectively since is no separate status is being demanded for the formers shouldering higher responsibilities.
9. Whether anyone admits it or not, it is very much cacophonic that to divest them, there is a move against the Fast Track L S G employees of Odisha Circle through cut and dry method which compelled such employees to proceed to court to achieve their legitimate right. Though they have been successful to a great extent in the meantime, avoidances and exploitations are still on move both by the Official Side and Staff Side. Such employees in Odisha Circle have been seriously sidelined and the most regretful fact is that they have no forum to represent. Whatever has been achieved so far is only due to their personal efforts taken combinedly.
Thus under the facts, figures and circumstances analyzed above, time has now arrived to demand for implementation of Postmasters’ Cadre comprising LSG, HSG-II and HSG – I officials with separate Grade Pay and Status than that of 10, 20 and 30 ACP officials. Without separate status and Grade Pay creation of Postmasters’ Cadre is completely meaningless.
Hi friends! Nobody will help you unless you help yourselves. Nothing will happen in boisterous speeches. Realize the gravity of the situation and join hands in a fair and square manner to hit the nail on hands since nothing is invincible provided there is unity. At all the Postmaster’s Cadre is implemented, barring a few, the Fast Track LSG officials are ahead to be benefited. So evidently, while mushrooming of a sear jealousness is inevitable amongst the senior employees on one hand, the Govt. is making each Fast Track LSG official a cat’s paw to achieve its aim on the other . A right decision cannot be taken only considering the situation as it is. We have to take into consideration the future as it will be. To accomplish, we must dream, visualize, plan, believe and act.
----- By A Postmaster ----
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