One Delegation consisting S/Shri M. K. Khamborkar General Secretary BPEU Class-III, Santosh Parab Org Secretary CHQ, Irshad Shaikh Dy General Secretary and Circle Secretary Gujarat, J. B. Rana Divisional Secretary, C. N. Desai, Kanti Patel and B. L. Vadhera were meet Smt Darshana Jardosh Hon’ble Member of Parliament Surat and Member of Parliamentary Standing Committee at her residence and submitted Memorandum containing the burning problems faced by postal staff vis-à-vis postal services
Bharatiya Postal Employees Union Class-III(An affiliate of BPEF/GENC/BMS)
Registrar of Trade Union Regn. No 2322 Dt 23-3-1978
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Memorandum
Absorption of all applicants for compassionate appointments as one time measure in Department of Posts
Since 1998 hundreds of wards of deceased Postal Employees are knocking the doors of the department for job on compassionate grounds. The famil ies of deceased postal employees/invalidated pensioners are in indigent condi tions. Hundreds of cases are pending before CATs/High Cour ts for seeking job on compassionate grounds as Department of Posts are rejecting the applicat ions on f ilmsy grounds. One of the reasons for the rejection of applicants is given as non availabili ty of vacancies for compassionate appointment .
At present 5% of vacancies of direct recrui tment quota can be filled by compassionate appointments. The Ministry of Railways however is not following this 5% capping of DR quota & considering the compassionate appointments in departmental quota. This All India Union since 2005 is knocking the doors of Postal administration for allowing the compassionate appointments against unfilled departmental promotional vacancies. In all total more than 10000 residual vacancies of depar tmental quota are there to be filled in. As a one time measure this quota of vacancies can be utilized for compassionate appointments.
In this respect the example of Maharashtra Circle can be cited. As an example, after 1999 the circle relaxation commi t tee meeting of Maharashtra Circle was held in Nov. 2006 for a brief per iod of one
and half day. In meeting nearly 850 applications were put for consideration out of which only 67 applications were considered favourably. Al l other appl ications were rejected summari ly for want of vacancies. Further it revealed that in Oct. 2009 there were 350 appx. applications were received & only 35 appx. were considered
favourably & all other applications were rejected for want of vacancies. These rejected applicants are knocking the doors of Government of India through MPs, MLAs, Ministers, the Honourable President of India,& CATs/ the High Courts. They are running from pillar to post as their families are in indigent condition. Further it revealed that 75% of these rejected applicants comes from SC/ST/BC downtrodden communities. In other words this means after losing the lone family head they are again on the road for seeking a job.
This is the situation almost in all Postal Ci rcles.
In order to cope up with this situation & to restore the social justice to the downtrodden communi ties this All India Union demands to review all the rejected applications for compassionate appointments as one time measure for causing absorption in departmental quota of vacancies.
Acute shortage of staff at operational level directly affecting smooth postal services to members of public.
Since 1983 there is a general ban on creation of new vacancies.Since 1999 the Annual Di rect Recrui tment Plan was introduced wherein two out of three vacant posts were abolished. This has caused a considerable acute shortage of staff for performing smooth postal operations. Besides this 10s of new schemes in the name of business development were launched by the depar tment of posts without sanctioning the required manpower at operative level. Most of the supervisory promot ional posts are being manned on adhoc basis from amongst the operative staff . Not only this, the administrative offices are being manned by taking operational staff on deputation. For manning the posts of System Administrators & Marketing Executives to the tune of nearly 3000 postal assistants are brought on deputation basis. This is directly af fecting the postal
services to the members of public.
Now the department of posts has introduced modified ACP scheme by replacing existing TBOP/BCR Scheme. Prior to that there was staff reduction of 6% in the feeder cadre & 20% in supervisory cadre was in existence for implementing TBOP/BCR scheme. As now that scheme (TBOP/BCR) is wi thdrawn, 6% & 20% staf f reduction in feeder/supervisory cadre needs to be restored immediately but this has not been done. In view of above this Al l India Union demands as under
a) Immediate restoration of 6% & 20% staff in feeder/supervisory cadre.
b) Filling of all residual vacancies by compassionate appointments.
c) Filling of all resultant chain of vacancies caused by adhoc promotion to HSG-I/HSG-II/LSG-NB Cadre.
d) Filling of all vacancies caused by deputation to system administrators/mktg. executives/BD scheme staff .
Effective Vigilance Mechanism for preventing frauds and it’s covering by certain authorities
(a) In the past also through our agitation this All India Union has demanded setting up of judicial commission to enquire in to huge frauds involving corers of rupees. At that time, It was told that a high power committee is formed for the purpose. But up to this no out come is visible. On the contrary frauds committed by staff, mainly Small Saving agents are increasing. For example stolen certificate were supplied by CSD West Bengal, to offices in Circle, by invoicing wrong numbers. But up-till now, no culprits are booked. Similarly mailers has committed fraud to the tune of corers of rupees in Mumbai but none is booked and punished by recovery of heavy losses sustained by Deptt.
This All India Union therefore demands immediate appointment of Commission / high-power committee to investigate the matter in details.
This all India Union therefore demands to appoint High Power Committee with assistance from outside nvestigating agencies for probing huge frauds involving corers of rupees, embezzlement of public money in franking machines, mail postings, by mailers, small saving scheme agents.
(b) It is observed that staff who speaks or act against corruptive practices, are being harassed by authorities. Higher authorities instead of giving protection to such “whistle blowers “either keeps mum are covers up misdeeds of corrupts. For example, case of result of exam. for promotion to Postman cadre from amongst GDS employee held on 6/12/2006 in Dhule in Maharashtra Circle is an eye-opener. Even though this All India Union has submitted details alongwith documentary proof , CO Maharashtra Circle has not given justice to victim of corruptive practices, adopted by then SSPOs Dhule Division. Same case is about SP Sriganganagar Division in Rajasthan Circle, where administration has gone to limit of extent to cover up misdeeds of Supdt. This All India Union therefore demands immediate actions in such cases and protection “whistle blowers”.
This all India Union therefore demands to cause for Stopping of Harassment of “whistle blowers” against corruption and punish corrupt officials/ officers.
Stop abuse of powers conferred under CCS (CCA) Rules to Authorities.
(a) It is observed that the inspecting officers, administrative authorities, though are responsible for facilitating the frauds due to negligence in duties but they are freed from the recoveries , entire loss is forced to be recovered from the Gr.-C staff by abusing the powers conferred in CCS (CCA) Rules to the authorities at lower formations and bypassing by appellate/petitioning authorities . This trend is increasing day by day resulting in ruining the families of Gr. –C staff. This needs to be checked.
Therefore this all India Union demands to stop making of subsidiary offenders for sole purpose of recovery of government loss in fraud cases and punish the disciplinary authorities for violating various provisions of CCS (CCA) Rules.
(b) CCS (CCA) Rules are statutory rules having force of law & no deviation is permissible. The authorities are violating these rules while dealing with suspension cases where huge expenditure is involved. Similarly
huge numbers of disciplinary cases are pending at all levels including the Postal Directorate. A punitive action needs to be evolved to curb such tendencies.
This all India Union addressed numbers letters to Dte. In this respect citing examples of Gujarat,
Maharashtra and Bihar Circles where these rules are violated resulting huge expenditure to public exchequer by way of payment of subsistence allowance.
This all India Union therefore demands to review all suspension cases within purview of amendments to suspension rules and recover the subsistence allowance paid unnecessarily from authorities violating the statutory rules.
Revive the machinery for redrressal of grievances, individual /
organizational in time bound manner at all levels.
(a) At present machinery for redressal of grievances of individuals /organizational, is on paper only. Practically no grievances are redressed in time bound manner. Grivances of staff , putforth in Regional / Circle level are not redressed with principles of delivering justice . A report is called for from authorities against whom matter is brought by staff . No records to confirm genuineness of report or on contradictory points raised by appellant is called. A verdict on the line of concocted report is given with the result of miscarriage of justice.
There are hundreds of examples in this respect . A matter putforth by unions are also kept in cupboard, without giving decisions.
(b) PO & RMS Accounts staff is most harassed staff on account of indecisiveness of postal Administration at highest level.
(i) Cause uniformity for granting promotion to LSG (NB) cadre in Accounts line in all circles. There is no uniformly in filling of LSG (Acctt.) posts from amongst PO & RMS Acctt. staff. Ignoring the basic statutory recruitments rules, Postal Dte. has issued so many executive instructions creating confusion. For example Karnataka Circle is following procedure laid in basic rules other circles, for example M.P.Circle is toeing other line. In Tamilnadu Circle , after verdict of CAT Chennai Bench Deptt. failed to get stay High Court
and allowed Tamilnadu Circle to follow basic rules from promotion to LSG (NB) in Accounts line. In Maharashtra Circle, Deptt. has gone in appeal in Hon’ble Mumbai High Court and for last 10 yrs. there is stalemate. When Tamilnadu Circle is allowed to follow basis rules why Maharashtra Circle not allowed to follow the same, by withdrawing appeal pending in High Court. Representations made by this All India Union in respect of Delhi Circle , Maharashtra Circle and M.P. Circle are pending for year together for classifications. Not only this most of the Circles have sought clarification on either this or that pretext for feeling of LSG Acctts. post in Accounts lines,. but in vain.For years, victims are PO & RMS Acctt. staff, who are deprived for promotions , pay of post and other consequential benefits. Lorger number of officials have retired without benefit even though they have worked on the post.
(ii) Grant Notional promotion w.e.f. 8/2/2002 to LSG (NB) Cadre in Accounts line to PO & RMS Account staff and further consequential promotions i.e. promotion to HSG-II/HSG-I notionally .
In number of Circles , no notional promotion since 1-1-1991were granted to PO & RMS Acctt. , who were working LSG Acctt. as per Dte. orders. Thus they were deprived of from further notional promotion to HSG-II (NB) and HSG-I Not only this,8-2-2002 onwards also no actual promotions in LSG Acct. were granted to these staff , as postal Dte. has not issued clarifications sought by Circles. Stalemate is still continued in some Circles. A uniform policy declaration is to be issued by Postal Dte. in this respect. In view of above we demand notional promotion in LSG (NB) / HSG-II (NB) / HSG-I cadre to eligible Accounts official immediately.
(iii) Stop harassment to account staff for recovery/ refund in postman wrong fixation cases.
In number of Circles Postal Accountant were asked to credit wrongly fixed pay of Postman staff and chargesheets were issued which is highly irregular. As per FR/SR no recovery can be ordered for over payment due to adhoc increments given to staff. Hence it is demanded to wave all the recoveries and staff harassment.
This All India Union therefore, demands revival of effective mechanism for redressal of individual grievances.
M K Khamborkar
General Secretary
BPEU Class-III
