திரு கமலேஷ் சந்திரா அவர்களின் GDS ஊதியக்குழு அறிக்கை கடந்த திரு நடராஜமூர்த்தி கமிட்டி ஊதியக்குழு அறிக்கைக்கு மாறாக குறிப்பாக நாம் வலியுறுத்தி வந்த இலாக்கா ஊழியர் என்று அறிவிக்காமல் மேலும் சம வேலைக்கு சம ஊதியம் என்ற முறையில் ஊதியம் நிர்ணயம் செய்யாமல் உள்ளதை தவிர மற்ற அனைத்தும் சிறப்பாக உள்ளது.
நிர்வாகம் மேலும் காலதாமதம் செய்யாமல் உடன் அமல்படுத்த நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கும் என நம்புகிறோம்
KAMALESH CHANDRA COMMITTEE REPORT ON GDS ONE STEP FORWARD - AN ANALYTICAL VIEW
Sri Kamalesh Chandra, Retired Member, Postal Services Board
& Chairman Gramin Dak Sevak Committee has submitted it's report to
Government on 24th November 2016. Even though earlier GDS Committee
reports were published on the same date of submission itself , this time
the Postal Board kept it pending for two months and published only on
19th January 2017. Against the unjustified delay in publishing the
report , NFPE & AIPEU - GDS conducted series of agitational
programmes like protest demonstrations , mass dharnas and finally
declared indefinite hunger fast of Secretary General and all other
General Secretaries in front of Postal Directorate (Dak Bhavan) from
18th January 2017.
The main recommendations of the Committee relates to simplification
and rationalisation of categories of GDS and the number of Time Related
Continuity Allowance (TRCA) slabs, increasing the wages of GDS and
other welfare measures of GDS.
The Committee has not attempted to analyse the justification of our
demand for grant of Civil Servant status to GDS and has refrained from
making any recommendations on the legal status of the GDS stating that
the matter is presently subjudice and hence left it to the outcome of
the court case. The committee , however , observed that there is a
tendency to withhold the legitimate demands of GDS which are due to them
, based on the apprehension that they will get closer to regular
employees , and their claim for regularisation will be strengthened in
the court of law , if such demands are allowed.
The
Committee has further observed that the future survival of the Postal
department will largely depend on the successful management of the GDS
post offices, which effectively form it's "soul" and it would be
difficult for the department to survive without the "soul". The
Committee felt that the India Post Payment Bank (IPPB) which is going to
be rolled out shortly , will use the strength of the GDS network and
experiences of more than 2.60 lakhs trustworthy Gramin Dak Sevaks.
Under the new wage structure recommended by the Committee, eleven
(11) TRCA slabs are subsumed into three (3) wage scales with two levels
each for Branch Postmasters (BPMs) and for other than BPMs.
Out of three wage scales , one scale will be common to both categories
of GDS. The minimum scale for GDS other than BPM is fixed as 10000 for 4
hours duty and the minimum scale for 5 hours duty is 12000. Similarly,
the minimum scale for BPM with 4 hours duty is fixed as 12000 and
minimum scale for 5 hours duty is 14500. There will be only three
categories of GDS with nomenclature BPM, Assistant BPM and GDS. All GDS
working in Branch Post offices (other than BPM) are re-designated as
Assistant Branch Post Masters (ABPM). All GDS working in Departmental
Post offices are designated as Gramin Dak Sevaks (GDS).
The
minimum working hours of GDS is fixed as 4 hours (Level - 1) , instead
of 3 hours at present and maximum working hours is 5 hours (Level - 2).
Point system for assessment of workload of BPM is abolished.
The new wage structure is linked to revenue generation of GDS Branch
Post offices. Based on revenue generation , all GDS Post offices will
be categorised as A(Green), B (Orange) , C (Pink) , D (Red) and efforts
to be undertaken by the GDS BPM and the departmental officers to
increase revenue of each category is explained in detail in the report. Committee has recommended that existing TRCA should not be reduced.
If the BPM in the category D (which is the lowest category as per
revenue earning) is not ready to improve the revenue earning ,
extension of working hours of Post office , stoppage of increment ,
withholding of promotion under financial upgradation scheme , relocation
of the Post office etc are also recommended. The GDS BPM will be paid a
revenue linked additional allowance @10% beyond level - 2 wage scale ,
if the revenue earned exceeds the limit fixed for category "A" offices.
The increment rate recommended is 3%.
The other major recommendations are (a) Composite Allowance comprising of support for hiring accommodation , office maintenance , electricity charges etc (b)
Children Education Allowance (c) three promotions (financial up
gradations ) on completion of 12 ,24 and 36 years. (c) Enhancement of
ex-gratia ceiling and Group Insurance Scheme amount (d) 26 weeks maternity leave for women GDS and one week Paternity leave (e)
30 days General leave (instead of paid leave) with provision for carry
forward and leave surrender benefit upto 180 days of accumulated General
leave at the time of retirement ( f ) five days Emergency leave like
casual leave (g) Minimum one year service for writing promotional
examination (h) liberalisation of grants and financial assistance from
welfare fund and (h) Risk and hardship allowance.
Regarding
Pension, no major change is recommended by the Committee, except
increase in severance amount and increase in contribution to Service
Discharge Benefit Scheme (SDBS). Similarly, there is no favourable
recommendation regarding medical facilities. While recommending that the
existing policy of relocation /redeployment should be vigorously
pursued to relocate GDS post offices which are not justified as per
norms, the Committee had also recommended that the department should not order closing of any GDS post office to further reduce the existing number of GDS post offices.
The existing rule that the maximum hours of duty of GDS should not go
beyond five hours , is retained by the Committee. There is also a
recommendation that two separate unions should be formed for GDS, one
exclusively for BPMs and one for all other categories of GDS.
Now
comes the question of implementation. Normally Department will appoint a
Postal Board Member to study and process the recommendations of the GDS
committee for implementation. Then Postal Board has to approve it after
seeking the comments of Joint Secretary & Financial Advisor. Then
it is to be approved by other nodal Ministries like Department of
Personnel & Training, Ministry of Finance, Law Ministry etc. After
completing all these process, the final proposal will be submitted to
Cabinet for approval.
NFPE
& AIPEU - GDS will be making an in depth study of the
recommendations and shall submit a detailed memorandum to the Department
demanding immediate implementation of the favourable recommendations
and also demanding modifications , improvement and rejection where ever
required. NFPE & AIPEU -GDS will make sincere effort to get maximum
benefits to the GDS. In case Government refuse to implement or dilute
the favourable recommendations NFPE & AIPEU GDS will not hesitate to
organise serious trade union action including indefinite strike.
All of us should keep in mind that the favourable recommendations of the GDS committee is a product of sustained
struggles conducted by the entire Postal employees under the banner of
NFPE , AIPEU -GDS , PJCA and Confederation of Central Government
Employees and Workers.
Let us be ready for the 16th March 2017, one day strike, for
further improvement of our service conditions. Let us unitedly fight and
shall not rest till our final goal ie; civil servant status to GDS is
achieved.
No doubt, Kamalesh Chandra Committee report is ONE STEP FORWARD.
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