No. P3NFPE-Odisha/08 - 09/2019
Dated at Bhubaneswar the 28th September,
2019
To
Sj. P K
Bisoi, IPoS
Hon’ble
Member (P)
Dak
Bhawan, New Delhi – 110 001
(Camp at
Bhubaneswar)
Sub:-Request for
redressal of some local issues and submission of some suggestions on all India
issues.
Respected Sir,
Sincerely
conveying our gratitude for allowing us to have a discussion with you in
between your busy schedules during your visit to Odisha Circle, we would like to
bring some local issues to your kind notice for immediate redressal as well as
some suggestions on few specific all India issues..
Local Issues:
1.
Delay
in payment of Financial Assistance to ‘Fani’ affected employees of Odisha
Circle:
It is a matter of
regret that even after expiry of a period of four months, the Financial
Assistance to the employees affected with sever cyclonic storm ‘Fani’ on
03.05.2019 has not yet been paid. While the payment to GDS employees has been
released by the Circle, the same for the Departmental employees is getting
delayed on the on the ground of compliance to the queries of
the Directorate. In this context, this is to intimate further that the Director
(Welfare & Sports), Department of Posts, Dak Bhawan, New Delhi – 110 001
has been requested for approval of the sanctioned amount for 1741 Departmental
employees @ Rs.4500/- each amounting to Rs.7834500 vide Odisha Circle letter
No. WL/1-77/2019, dated 10.07.2019 which has been reminded twice in the
meantime vide its letter No. WL/1-77/2019, dated 01.08.2019 and 28.08.2019.
Therefore, this Circle Union
requests your kind intervention for immediate approval of the above Fani Assiatance.
2.
Revision
of Sanctioned Strength in HSG-I Cadre in
Odisha Circle:
Inviting a kind
reference to Department of Posts, Higher Selection Grade – I in Post Offices
and Railway Mail Services, Group ‘B’ Posts Recruitment Rules, 2014, this is to
intimate that the Department merged all the 141 IP line HSG-I posts with
General line raising the sanctioned strength of HSG-I posts from 1600 to 1741
on all India basis (Column 2 of the Gazette Notification dated 17.07.2014).
Accordingly, three posts of HSG-I cadre under IP line in Odisha Circle i.e. Dy.
Postmaster, Bhubaneswar GPO, Postmaster, Puri HO and Postmaster, Sambalpur HO
should have been merged with general line increasing the present Sanctioned
Strength to 99 along with the enhanced 96 HSG-I posts vide Directorate letter
No. 25-04/2012-PE-I (Vol. II), dated
10.11.2017 including 10 posts of HSG-I NFG. Now after
merger of Postmaster Cadre ordered vide Directorate letter No. 25-19/2018-PE.I,
dated 10.07.2019, 18 posts of Postmaster Grade-III were added to existing
Sanctioned Strength of HSG-I cadre and thus the total Sanctioned Strength of HSG-I cadre in Odisha Circle should have been 117 (99
existing + 18 Grade-III). But this has not been done in Odisha Circle and
presently the Sanctioned Strength in HSG-I cadre has been shown as 114 (96 +
18) vide Circle Office letter No. ST/26-26/2019, dated 27.08.2019.
As such, this
Circle Union would like to request your kind intervention to revise the
Sanctioned Strength of HSG-I cadre in Odisha Circle correctly taking into
consideration all the three IP line HSG-I posts of Dy. Postmaster, Bhubaneswar
GPO, Postmaster, Puri HO and Postmaster, Sambalpur HO which have no locus
standi after the HSG-I Revised Recruitment Rules, 2014.
3. Payment
of Cash Handling / Treasury Allowances
As
aware, the Cash Handling Allowance at
Sl. No. 3 and Treasury Allowance at Sl. 32 of the Resolution No. 11-1/2016-IC, dated 06.07.2017 issued by
Ministry of Finance on Allowances based on the Recommendations of 7th
CPC have been subsumed and revised as under with effect from the 1st
July, 2017.
|
Amount of
average
monthly cash handled
|
6th CPC rates
|
Revised Rates
(in
Rs. Per Month)
|
|
<= 5 lakh
|
230-600
|
700
|
|
Over 5 lakh
|
750-900
|
1000
|
But
it is regretted that the above allowances have been discontinued in Odisha
Circle since implementation of the Recommendations of 7th CPC. In
spite of discussion with the administration, no satisfactory result has come
yet.
Therefore,
this union requests your kind intervention to issue necessary instructions to
all Unit Heads / DDOs for immediate payment of Cash Handling / Treasury Allowances to
all eligible officials with effect from 01.07.2017.
4.
Treatment to the LSG Posts created in MDGs
under Cadre Restructuring proposal of Group-C postal employees as Supervisor.
As known, one
post in LSG cadre has been created in all MDGs under the Cadre Restructuring
Proposal of Group-C postal employees on abolition of one post of P A from each
MDG. While the post of LSG is treated as supervisor and designated as Assistant
Postmaster in HOs / GPOs, the same post now created in MDGs is termed as LSG PA
in Odisha Circle in contrast to its nature of supervisory works.
Now as per
latest instructions (Addendum to S B order No. 5/2016), both
Maker and Checker should belong to same SOL in ‘Verify’ mode for activities in
CBS Finacle like Freeze / Unfreeze and issue of Duplicate Pass Books etc. If
the 2nd Supervisor Role is assigned to the newly created LSG
officials in MDGs, this will not only expedite the service delivery but will
lessen the burden of workload on HOs/GPOs.
Therefore, it is requested kindly to take
appropriate action for uniform assignment of 2nd Supervisor roles to
the LSG official of each MDG redesignating them as Assistant Postmaster for
rendering prompt service delivery to the members of public.
All India Issues:
1.
Conversion of Single-Handed Post Offices
to Double-Handed: The Sub Postmaster of a single-handed Delivery Post
Office has been unscientifically given two passwords for Operator and
Supervisor. He has to perform all the functions of a Post Office first as
Operator with a given Password and then will act as his own Supervisor with
another Password to verify the transactions performed by him as Operator. He
has to perform all types of transactions booking, delivery, and despatch, MPCM,
POSB in the same system both as Operator and as Supervisor. If such post offices are attached with branch
post offices, then their sufferings beggar description. In addition, he has also to achieve targets,
promote business and mange other staff members of his office which may vary
from 2 to 20. A person has his own limitations. But our operative Postal
Assistants are compelled to work regularly beyond their limitations. The
repeated approaches of the employees to convert all single-handed Post Offices
to at least double-handed post offices in the analogy of Checker-Maker system
under CBS platform have invited no result for years together and such Sub
Postmasters are suffering like bonded-labourers from dawn to dusk in the fear
of disciplinary action under high pressure of bureaucratic ego.
As
such we would like to suggest that all the single handed post offices need be
upgraded to double handed to redress the plight of the Sub Postmasters.
2. Change
of Nomenclature:
The 6th CPC vide Para 3.1.10 and 3.1.12 states that emphasis should
be on recruiting multi skilled personnel at Assistant level designed as
Executive Assistant who will discharge the function of present day requirement
and be designated as Executive Assistants.
As the Postal Assistants, Supervisory and Operative possess a higher
qualitative and quantitative nature of work, they can be called as Executive
Postal Assistant.
The change of nomenclature will cost nothing. But it can motivate
the employee to live with a status in the society. No one just works for pay
and allowances. Everybody wants status and dignity. The present nomenclature of
the Postal Assistant on different stages is very much confusing and don’t suit
to the functional needs of the Department on one hand and not understood by the
members of public on the other. Under the circumstance, we have the following
suggestions to change the existing nomenclature. The suggestions are just illustrative.
|
Sl.
|
Existing Nomenclature
|
Proposed Nomenclature
|
|
1
|
Postal
Assistant
|
Executive
Postal Assistant
|
|
2
|
Postmaster
(L S G) / Postmaster Grade – I / Asst. Postmaster (LSG)
|
Asst.
Executive Postmaster
|
|
3
|
Postmaster
(HSG-II) / Postmaster Grade – II / Asst. Postmaster (HSG-II) / Dy. Postmaster
(HSG-II)
|
Executive
Postmaster
|
|
4
|
Postmaster
(HSG-I) / Postmaster Grade – III / Dy. Postmaster (HSG-I)
|
Senior
Executive Postmaster
|
|
5
|
Senior Postmaster
|
Chief
Executive Postmaster
|
3.
Five-day
Week for Operative Staff: A
serious discrimination is rolling over in between the Administrative and
Operative staff for decades with respect to 5 days and 6 days week
respectively.
Kind request to have a look on the following information.
|
Particulars
|
Operative Staff in Post Offices
|
Administrative Staff in Post Offices
and other CG establishments
|
|
Closed
Holidays
|
17
|
17
|
|
Casual
Leave & R H
|
10
|
10
|
|
Closed
Saturdays
|
0
|
52
|
|
Weekly
Off / Sundays
|
52
|
52
|
|
Total
Holidays
|
79
|
131
|
|
Total
Working days out of 365 days in a year
|
286
|
234
|
|
Working
Hours
|
8
|
8.5
|
|
Working
hours in a year
|
2288
|
1989
|
|
Yearly Excess Woking Hours of Postal
Operative Staff
|
2288 – 1989 = 299 hours
|
|
While the operative staff are working
299 hours a year in excess, the logic behind not allowing them to avail 5 days
week for treating them at par with the administrative staff is not understood.
Besides, now the employees of Bank and Insurance sector are eligible for
availing holidays on 2nd and 4th Saturday though these
establishments are operative in nature. The basic principle of equality of
status as a major constitutional provision is seriously hampered when postal
operative staff are deprived of the benefit of 5 days week. All operative staff need to avail 5 days week
and to work for 1989 hours a year at par with the administrative staff.
Humble request to look into the issue
with priority.
4.
Gazetted Status to HSG-I / Grade-III
Postmasters: While officers in the pay level of Rs.4600/- in various
Central Govt. establishments are enjoying Gazetted status, the Postmasters in
Higher Selection Grade-I with similar pay level are deprived of the status. It
is quite unfortunate that though after implementation of cadre restructuring
proposal of Group-C postal employees, now Postmasters in Higher Selection
Grade-I are promoted to Non Functional Grade (NFG) in the pay level of
Rs.4800/, they are still treated as non-gazetted.
Such discriminations need to be addressed by
conferring Gazetted Status to Postmasters in Higher Selection Grade-I and
Postmaster Grade-III.
5.
Enhancement of Financial Powers of the
Selection Grade Postmasters: The financial power
of an HSG-I Postmaster who is managing either a Head Post Office or a Mukhya
Dak Ghar with huge staff members is limited to Rs.60/- only in 21st
century which will not permit him to purchase an LED bulb, a mouse, a
key-board, a ribbon cartridge, a packet of paper, a litre of diesel, a bucket,
a broom, a bottle of phenyl / gum, a floor cleaning brush, a register, a lock
etc which are barely required on day to day basis for smooth functioning of the
post office and to maintain the cleanliness. For the purpose, he has to obtain
prior approval from the competent authority, i.e. Divisional Superintendent. If
the mouse or key-board becomes defunct during counter hours, the Postmaster has
no other alternative but to communicate to his higher authority, obtain
approval, purchase the item and then run the counter work. He may also be
directed to collect in person from the Divisional Office. Kindly think about
the embarrassing situation the Postmaster has to face before the members of
public standing before the Counter. Till then, the public at the counter have
to suffer and the Postmaster is to be humiliated. No stand-by accessories are
supplied to any Post office and the supply is centrally done by the Divisional
Heads. Reports from the administration may come that there is no dearth of
supply. But the same is completely far from truth and reality.
As such, it is suggested that the financial power of
the Selection Grade Postmasters need immediate revision suitably to meet the
exigencies.
6.
Administrative Powers to the Selection
Grade Postmasters: Similarly there is no administrative power of an HSG-I Postmaster who is
managing either a Head Post Office or a Mukhya Dak Ghar with huge staff members
except grant of Casual Leave and allowing officials to avail earned leave not
more than 3 days. They have no power to sanction earned leave and other
admissible leave to an employee. They can’t write the APAR of the employees
under his direct control. Presently the APAR is being assessed by the
Divisional Heads who is indirectly controlling such officials. Such power needs
to be decentralized for better administration.
The administrative power of an HSG-I Postmaster needs
to be redefined.
7.
One-time filling up of all HSG-II and
HSG-I posts: After implementation of Cadre Restructuring
Proposal for Group-C Postal Employees, the Post of Higher Selection Grade-II
and Higher Selection Grade-I are almost vacant due to increase in number of
posts in the particular Grades on one hand and non-availability of eligible
officials in the required feeder cadre
on the other. Thus, almost all the Post Offices headed by HSG-I and HSG-II
Postmasters are presently managed by Lower Selection Grade officials. Both the
status of the Post Office and dignity of the post have been affected.
For the purpose, the Staff Side has requested
several times in different forums for one-time filling up of all HSG-II and
HSG-I posts which has not yet got any response. Due to no action of the
Department in this regard, while the existing employees in LSG / HSG-II Cadre
are deprived of their future promotions, the Postal Assistants are also
deprived of getting promoted to LSG Cadre.
Onetime filling up of all vacant posts in HSG-II and
HSG-I cadre will not only motivate the employees to give their best but also
help smooth management of post offices increasing the revenue earning.
Request for kind intervention by my Hon’ble Member
(P).
8.
Delinking financial upgradation from
regular promotion: The employees who are unable to get any promotion
are entitled for three financial upgradations during their entire service
career under MACP Scheme after 10, 20 and 30 years of service. But
unfortunately such employees having below bench mark on APAR are deprived of
the financial upgradations.
Secondly, another hurdle in this connection is that
during the course of time, if any official refuses to accept the regular
promotion, he is now debarred from getting the financial upgradation under MACP
which is highly illogical and undemocratic. Acceptance of regular promotion
need not be linked with MACP which is given in case a employee gets no
promotion.
Such conditions need to be eliminated for the
benefit of the employees to achieve more productivity. Therefore, it is
requested kindly to take up the issue with DoPT to delink financial upgradation
from regular promotion.
9.
Constitution of Screening Committee
for writing APAR
Several examples are there where the sincere and
hardworking employees get below / average bench mark and flatterers close to
the administration get ‘Very Good’. It is needless to bring to the kind notice
of my Hon’ble Member (P) that APAR is seen commonly to be evaluated on the whim
and ego of the authority and not on the performance of the official.
As it is suggested to constitute a Screening
Committee for writing APAR to maintain transparency.
10.
Creation of New Posts: For correct
and smooth implementation of I T Modernization Project, our Postal Assistants
possessing technical qualification were nominated from the existing
establishment as System Administrator without creation of new posts. Further,
during Core Banking Solution (CBS) and Core Insurance Solution (CIS) rollouts,
CBS CPCs in every Postal Circle and PLI CPCs in every Head Post Offices were
opened with diversion of Postal Assistants and System Administrators from the
existing establishment without any new creation of such posts. After establishment
of Business Directorate, no post of Business / Marketing Executive was created.
But again the Postal Assistants were diverted from the existing establishment. Similarly,
PLI Group Leaders are also from the existing establishment and there is no
creation of new post in this regard. Further, during launch of India Post
Payments Bank, a large number of Postal Assistants are now on deputation to
IPPB. In this way, the sanctioned strength of Postal Assistants is decreasing
day by day and the workload of such diverted staff members are shouldered by
the existing staff with undue pressure.
This is one aspect.
Another important aspect connected with the above
diversion/deputation is that after working for so many years as Business /
Marketing Executive, PLI Group Leader, System Administrator / Manager etc. when
these Postal Assistants earn expertise in the field of business, marketing and
technology, their talent in not exploited for the benefit of the Department
since there is no such defined / created post and thus again they are returned
back to their parent post of Postal Assistant. Their efficiency and experience
becomes meaningless.
Such posts need to be created for keeping the
sanctioned strength of Postal Assistant intact on one hand and to utilize the efficiency
and experience of the Postal Assistants gained in the field of business,
marketing and technology for the benefit of the Department on the other.
With profound regards,
Yours
faithfully,
(Bruhaspati Samal)
Circle Secretary
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