The orders, so far issued, by the Postal Directorate shows that there has been wide gap between the recommendations of the committee and implementation orders issued by the department of posts. The sanctity of the pay commission or committee has been greatly compromised. We agree that the Govt. does not accept a few recommendations or makes some amendments in other few and mostly in favour of the employees. But, here, the entire report of the Kamlesh Chandra committee has been changed to the detriment of the G.D.S. employees, We discuss hereunder some recommendations as a token :
1. Date of implementation of the recommendations: The committee recommended that the report as a whole be implemented with effect from 01.01.2016. We also were assured that the committee’s report would be implemented w.e.f from 01-01-2016. But to our dismay we find that according to the orders issued the recommendations that have been implemented take effect from 01.07.2018. We discuss the adverse effects of such orders below :-
(i) Pay Fixation : The effect of the recommendation from 01.07.2018 in stead of 01.01.2016 has severely eroded the salary of the GDS employees – the lowest paid employees of the department. The cumulative effect of the same will run into several thousands and even may go up to lacs. The table below shows the effect of the manipulative orders giving effect to pay fixation from 01.07.2018 vis-à-vis fixation with effect from 01.01.2016
Table – I
Pay fixation from 01.01.2016
|
Pay fixation from 01.07.2018
| ||||||||
Sl.
|
Date
|
Old Pay
|
Product of 2.57
|
New Pay
|
Old Pay
|
Product of 2.57
|
Old Pay with DA
|
Loss per Month (5-8)
|
Remarks
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
1
|
01.01.2016
|
2790
|
7170
|
10,000
|
2790
|
7170
|
6278
|
3722
|
DA 125%
|
2
|
01.07.2016
|
2790
|
7170
|
10,000
|
2790
|
7170
|
6473
|
3527
|
DA 132%
|
3
|
01.01.2017
|
2835
|
7286
|
10,300
|
2835
|
7286
|
6691
|
3609
|
DA 136%
|
4
|
01.07.2047
|
2835
|
7286
|
10,300
|
2835
|
7286
|
6776
|
3224
|
DA 139%
|
5
|
01.01.2018
|
2880
|
7402
|
10,610
|
2880
|
7402
|
6970
|
3640
|
DA 142%
|
6
|
01.07.2018
|
2880
|
7402
|
10610
|
2880
|
7402
|
10,000
|
610
| |
7
|
01.01.2019
|
--
|
---
|
10930
|
--
|
--
|
10,000
|
930
| |
8
|
01.07.2019
|
--
|
---
|
10,930
|
--
|
--
|
10,300
|
630
| |
9
|
01.01.2020
|
--
|
--
|
11,260
|
--
|
--
|
10,300
|
960
| |
10
|
01.07.2020
|
--
|
--
|
11,260
|
--
|
--
|
10,610
|
650
| |
And so on…..
The amount shown in col.-9 represents the loss per month. The loss to be suffered over the next ten years may kindly be well imagined.
(ii) The formula of product of 2.57 is a way of pay fixation and not a way for calculation and payment of arrears. The given formula of the payment of arrears : Calculating the arrears by product of 2.57 results in serious and irreparable loss of several thousands to the GDS employees. The following table-II illustrates the situation:
Table – II
A BPM drawing pay of Rs 4115 in the old pay scale of Rs 4575-85-7125 DNI 01-01-2016
Net matrix = 1500-35480
Sl.
|
Date
|
Pay
|
D.A.
|
Total Pay
|
New Pay
|
Due
Amount
|
Old Pay 2.57
|
Paid Amount
|
Loss
|
Loss in 6 Months
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
1
|
01.01.2016
|
4715
|
125
|
10,609
|
14,500
|
3891
|
12,118
|
1509
|
2382
|
14,292
|
2
|
01.07.2016
|
4715
|
132
|
10,932
|
14,500
|
3568
|
12,778
|
1186
|
2382
|
14,292
|
3
|
01.01.2017
|
4800
|
136
|
11,328
|
14,940
|
3612
|
12,336
|
1008
|
2604
|
15,624
|
4
|
01.07.2017
|
4800
|
139
|
11,472
|
14,940
|
3468
|
12,336
|
864
|
2604
|
15,624
|
5
|
01.01.2018
|
4885
|
142
|
11,822
|
15,390
|
3568
|
12,554
|
732
|
2836
|
17,016
|
2. (i) Payment of gratuity : The committee recommended payment of gratuity at the rate of half month’s salary for every completed year of service subject to a maximum of Rs 5 lacs. The maximum of amount of Rs 5 lacs has been, without any justification, sliced down to Rs 1.5 lacs. To illustrate the point we take here an example of a GDS who has rendered 36 completed years of services, and draws pay of Rs 24,000 on the date of his retirement. His gratuity will work out to Rs 4.32000; but will have to be limited to Rs 1.5 lacs. Can this loss of Rs 2.82000 to this particular GDS be justified by any standard of justice. Giving effect to the payment of gratuity from 01-07-2018 denies due gratuity to a number of GDS who have spent the golden period of their life in service of the people on befalf of the Government. If the bureaucracy in the postal Directorate, who gladly receive gratuity on the same lines upto 20 lacs could decide the issue without any justification on ad hoc basis, why the platitude of appointing a pay committee!
(ii) Pension contribution: The committee recommended that 10% of the pay of the GDS should be recovered towards pension contribution and the Government should contribute like amount towards the scheme. The department has made wonderful unilateral and baseless change that a sum of Rs 300, per month from the GDS and like amount would be contributed by the Government. There cannot be any justification for this baseless change. The recommendation of the committee has to be wholly accepted.
3. Recommend actions the fate of which are not known :-
(i) Leave :- The committee has recommended that the GDS should be granted 30 day’s earned leave in a year and the unutilized leave should be allowed to be carried forward subject to the maximum of 180 days. The committee also recommended grant of half pay leave and emergency leave. Nothing is known about the fate of these recommendations. Only orders on maternity leave up to 6 months have been issued. The recommendation may kindly be got implemented.
(ii) Time bound promotions: The committee has recommended that the GDS employees should be granted three promotions on completion of 12, 24 and 36 years of service. We donot know as to the fate of these recommendations. This may kindly be looked into.
(iii) Children education allowance: The Committee has made specific recommendations on this subject which has still to see light of the day as far as implementation is concerned.
(iv) Employees State Insurance Scheme (ESI) Gramin Daks Sevaks should be included in the ESI scheme. The ESI Scheme covers even persons working in unorganised sectors. ESI despensaries and hospitals are available throughout the Country.
(v) The rate of monthly subscription and amount of insurance cover under the Gramin Dak Sevaks group insurance scheme as rate of monthly subscription Rs. 500/- and Insurance cover Rs. 5,00,000/-
(vi) Composite allowance to ABPMS Rs. 2400/- for ‘X’ Class Cities, Rs. 1600/- for ‘Y’ Class Cities and Rs. 800/- for ‘Z’ Class Cities. for BPMs should be enhanced from Rs.500/- (recently approved) to Rs. 1600/-. Composite allowance should be granted.
(vii) Limited transfer facility to GDS on request should be relaxed. There will not be any drop in wage scale on account of a request transfer. The transfer of GDS will be approved by divisional head if the transfer is with in the division, by Regional PMG if the transfer is within the region, by HOC if the transfer is within Circle.
(viii) Voluntary Discharge Scheme for the GDSs who are willing to leave the post before the discharge age of 65 years should be implemented.
(ix) All discharge benefits (retirement benefits) should be implemented from 01-01-2016.
(x) Put off duty may be averted by Transferring the GDSs to another place.
(xi) Minimum qualifying service of 5 years should be reduce to three year for GDSs to appear MTS/ Postman / Mailguard / PA / SAs Examination.
(xii) Incentive system should be abolished for schemes introduced and to be introduced by the Department of Posts. Enhance the working hours of Branch Post Offices upto 8 hours to implement these schemes.
(xiii) GDSs should be allowed to get discharged from the service on the last day of the month in which She/He attains the 65 years of Age.
(xiv) All single handed Branch Post Offices should be provided with one more hand.
The following basic issued should also be considered for settlement in favour of GDS.
1) Civil servant status should be granted to GDS as the committee has clearly stated that GDS are PART AND PARCEL of Department of Posts. Hence we urge upon the Government and the department to extend all facilities at par with regular employees.
2) The restriction 5 hours duty as MAXIMUM is neither practicable nor supported by any law and hence should be removed. 8 hours work should be granted to all Branch Post Offices and GDS Officials. Rule 3A(i) of GDS (conduct and engagement) Rules 2011 should accordingly be amended immediately.
3) that the long pending demand of Pension should be granted under the provisions of CCS (pension) Rules 1972 to all Gramin Dak Sevaks, who have been retired as Gramin Dak Sevaks without absorption as regular Group-D staff. Rule 6 of GDS (conduct & engagement) Rules 2011 should accordingly be amended.
Respected Sir,
These are some to the important issues on which the recommendations of Kamlesh Chandra committee have gravely been manipulated which has made a big whole in the small pay packets of GDS. This has been seriously agitating the minds of the GDS.
We approach your goodself on behalf of 2.60 lacs Gramin Dak Sevaks kindly to look personally into the matter and take necessary action for proper remedy which will earn you or the Government the satisfaction of the GDS employees.
With high regards.
Yours sincerely,
S.S.MAHADEVAIAH
General Secretary
AIGDSU
|
P.U.MURALEEDHARAN
General Secretary
NUGDS
|
P.PANDURANGARAO
General Secretary
AIPEU-GDS
|
Copy forwarded, with regards, to Sri A. N. Nanda secretary, Department of Posts for similar action.
