No. P3NFPE-Odisha/05 - 09/2018
Dated at Cuttack the 9th September,
2018
To
Com. R N Parashar
General Secretary, AIPEU, Group-C, CHQ
Dada Ghosh Bhawan, New Delhi – 110 008
Sub: Strengthening the Existing Marketing and Sales Structure of PLI /
RPLI - reg.
Ref: CGM PLI Letter D O No: - 28-06/2014-LI dated
31.5.2018
Respected Comrade,
This has a kind reference to PLI
Directorate letter under reference on
the above subject (Copy enclosed for ready reference) circulated to all HoCs on
the basis of the minutes of the HoC Conference held in Bhopal from 27th
to 29th April, 2018. Suggestions / comments have been sought for
from the stakeholders to revisit the existing promotional structure and to
implement a new promotional structure of PLI / RPLI as per Annexure A to E of
the above letter.
In
this context, it may be noted that as per approval of the Postal Services
Board, the existing promotional structure of PLI / RPLI was implemented in many
Circle vide Directorate OM No: 28-06/2014-LI dated 10.8.2016 (Copy enclosed) barring
one or two circles and before complete and smooth implementation and without
giving the existing proposal sufficient time to become fruitful, now a change
is proposed all on a sudden roughly on the
reason low performance and failure to achieve targets under the existing system.
Though
the Staff Side has been kept in dark for such changes, we could be able to
collect the above letters and analyze the justification for such a change. In
our opinion, PLI Directorate is just going to make experiments only in a
whimsical manner since the actual reasons of low performance are something else
which have been overlooked.
This
Union analyzed both the letters and we are of the opinion that the existing
system will work better if the shortcomings are properly addressed
Our
observations are as follows.
1.
Achievement
of Targets:
As
per Annexure – I of the Directorate letter under reference reproduced below, the
percentage in growth of PLI and RPLI business in the year 2017-18 is marginal
which breeds the concept of the proposed change.
|
Product
|
2015-16
|
2016-17
|
2017-18
|
|||||
|
Target
|
Achievement
|
Target
|
Achievement
|
% growth in
achievement over previous year
|
Target
|
Achievement
|
% growth in
achievement over previous year
|
|
|
PLI
|
7500
|
6657.03
|
7,750
|
7233.89
|
8.67%
|
9030
|
7360.07
|
1.74%
|
|
RPLI
|
2500
|
2012.17
|
2,359
|
2120.02
|
5.36%
|
2940
|
2261.51
|
6.67%
|
But
unfortunately, the facts and figures, the compulsions and limitations for such
marginal performance / growth have not been properly assessed.
2.
The
Drawbacks.
i.
The
above growth has been achieved in spite of several adverse situations like
introduction of new system without adequate numbers of Direct Agents, shortage
of PLI Group Leaders / Development Officers (Working Strength 130 out of
Sanctioned Strength 185), debarring the Army Postal Services (APS), IPs and
ASPOs to procure business, difficulty in processing the new proposals due to continuous
server slowness in PLI McCamish, non-payment of commission to the Direct Agents
and non-payment of system generated incentive etc. Without examining the above shortcomings and
taking feasible steps to bring immediate solution, the whimsical decision with
a fresh proposal to change this existing system is not at all appropriate and
logical which may not hamper the PLI business only but will create a very
bad precedence also in future.
ii.
As
aware, the Group Leader / D O is a tenure post with the status of LSG Cadre
which has now been proposed to be selected every two years. When the GL
/ DO will be perfectly matured gaining vast experience in the field of business
and marketing, he will be reverted back to his parent post of Postal Assistant for
which our P As are not at all interested to work as such since there is no
future prospects in the line and this is the main reason that only 130 Group Leaders
/ DOs are presently working out of 185 sanctioned strength. Contradictorily, in
other insurance companies, a D O gets continuous promotion based on his
performances to ABM (Sales), Manager ( Sales), Sr. Manager ( Sales) and so on
and thus given a wide scope to exploit
his experience and knowledge for the benefit of the concerned company. While
the Strategic Plan of India Post emphasizes to make our own products and
services customers’ first choice on one hand and while we are making our
products and services e-enabled to compete with the private players in the
market fixing higher level of targets to attain self-sufficiency as per the
Corporate Plan of India Post on the other, it is high time to rethink if one
experienced DO / GL can procure more business in comparison to a fresher or
not.
iii.
The
GLs / D Os are now selected through a written examination followed by an
interview conducted by the concerned Chief PMG of the Circle and outside
marketing experts. While a P A just qualifies a written examination, he gets
his promotion to Postmaster Cadre / I P Cadre / P S Group-B and moves ahead in
the promotional ladder without being reverted back. But it is too unfortunate
to remove the Group Leader / D O who has appeared both written examination and
viva-voce test which de-motivates our staff members inviting a negative impact
on the business targets.
iv.
Contradictorily,
the new proposal emphasizes for selection of GLs only through interview by the
Divisional head as per Para - iii of Annexure – B. Dropping of the existing
system of written examination will certainly invite undue favouritism and will
stand in the way of selecting the eligible person for the purpose. Rather, there
may be competition amongst the members of interview panel to select their own
person(s). The reality is that now P As are afraid of working in the post
offices due to the heavy drawbacks in implementation
of I T Modernization Project and are in search of back-house offices like
Circle Office, Divisional Office, PSD, CSD, CPCs etc and making serious lobbies
through the authorities found closer to them.
v.
As
observed by CGM (PLI), the Direct Agents (DAs) only procure 30% business which
is dissatisfactory. But the reason for this low procurement is that in addition
to the DAs, Departmental Employees (DEs), Field Officers and Gramin Dak Sewaks
(GDS) are also allowed to procure PLI and RPLI business outside the office
hours. In addition the incentive paid to the D As is inadequate and that is
also not paid in time. So, though the Direct Agent system has been started
since 2004, it has not yet been successful due to this parallel marketing
system.
vi.
This
is just a mockery since DEs are already overburdened and depressed with heavy
workload working in the office till late night regularly only due to improper
and hurried implementation of IT Modernization Project with continuous server /
software / hardware / staff shortage problems and wherever such business is
being procured by anyone is only within the office hours only.
vii.
As
witnessed, nowhere, neither in Divisional Offices nor in CPCs / HOs, the GLs
are provided with suitable sitting arrangements where they can arrange
counseling their agents. Secondly, deployment of GLs outside their parent /
neighbouring Division to which they are not familiar brings a negative impact
on marketing. This squarely affects the growth in PLI / RPLI business.
3.
Suggestions:
Thus, under the Circumstance, to strengthen the existing marketing and sales
structure of PLI and RPLI business, this Union would like to suggest the
followings.
i.
A
separate and permanent cadre for PLI Group Leaders in the Pay Level of Rs.
4600/- with fixed line of promotion needs be created without any reversion to P
A cadre since they have come out successful by appearing both a written
examination and interview where as IPs and Post Master Cadre do appear only one
written examination. The existing system of selection and training as
enunciated Para-3 of PLI Directorate No: 28-06/2014-LI dated 10.8.2016 needs to
be continued. The proposed system of selection process as per Para - iii of Annexure
– B of the Directorate letter under reference will certainly be suicidal for
growth of PLI / RPLI business.
ii.
While
the suggestion given under Para – i of Annexure – B of the Directorate letter
under reference to select one GL for each Division is a welcome step, it is
suggested that the GLs should be placed under control of DDM / AD (PLI) to
avoid unnecessary interference of the Divisional Heads.
iii.
Each
GL should be provided with a separate chamber to function his own office where
D As working under him can obtain regular counseling and the valued customers
coming to PLI CPC / Post Offices can get proper feedback and after sales
service.
iv.
The
GLs should be authorized for selection of Direct Agents with approval of the
competent authority throughout the year with limited financial power to spend
at the time of exigencies for business development. There should not be any upper
limit in selecting number of D As.
v.
The
parallel system of procuring PLI / RPLI business both through D As and DEs
needs to be stopped eliminating D Es for the reasons mention in Para 2 (vi)
above. In this digital era, when cyber crimes inviting frauds and
misappropriations are mushrooming due to lack of prompt and proper inspection,
the proposal now given under Annexure-C of the Directorate letter under
reference to authorize IPs / ASPOs for procurement of PLI / RPLI business will
certainly affect their normal / prescribed duties and will stand in the way of
the honesty, integrity and goodwill of the Department.
vi.
The
GLs should be allotted Code Numbers which may be mapped with Agent Codes of all
the agents working under concerned GL to monitor the targets given to D As and
to improve the performance of the GLs.
vii.
Selected
GLs / DOs from each circle need to be invited by the Directorate periodically
to contribute their views for making the system stronger and smarter as
they are the right persons with vast marketing experience.
viii.
The GLs should be deployed
preferably in his home division along with neighboring divisions if found
justified which will facilitate to procure more business due to their acquaintance
over the locality.
ix.
As
stated in Para-1 of the Annexure – E of the Directorate letter under reference
that sales forces have no direct role in renewal premium collection and after
sales service to the customers is not correct. It is an established fact the
customers do disturb and contact the person directly through whom they purchase
the policy and not to anyone else. Thus, the present structure of trial /
renewal commission is required to be continued.
x.
To
motivate the CPC officials, the proposed incentive structure as stated in Para-2
of the Annexure – E of the Directorate letter under reference is a welcome step
to be accepted.
Encls: As above
(B. Samal)
Circle Secretary
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