Thursday 13 March 2014

ADDRESS BY THE GENERAL SECRETARY, NUPCWNGE AT HYDERABAD ON 10.03.2014 Respected dignitaries on the dais and postal family members who are attending the first conference of the new unit of Maharashtra Civil Circle of our Union at the historical ground of Hyderabad and express my gratitude who are behind the screen especially Mr.DVNS Murthy for conducting this meeting. First of all, I should express my gratitude to Shri D.Theagarajan, Secretary General of FNPO who is always extending his co-operation without any hesitation to me and inspiring me for leading our organisation and also for getting attention of the demands we rise before the authorities. As you are well aware that I have taken over the charge of the General Secretary of Civil Wing Union only in the last week of May, 2013 since then I have taken up various issues before the Department for the benefit to the Civil Wing staff unlike the General Secretary of our rival union who was incidentally from Hyderabad itself. Due to his in action during the last so many years and as well in previous pay commission period he did not acted for any benefit of the staff members of civil wing hence we are facing lot of discrimination and disadvantages in the service conditions. However, at the last verification process they were fielded out from the ground and we could attain the recognition from the Department and since then we are working for the benefit of the civil wing staff members. First in the case is cadre review of the Civil Wing Staff for which we have submitted a detailed memorandum in person along with the Secretary General of FNPO to the Secretary of the Department of Posts and Chief Engineer (Civil) on 27.05.2013 but to my regret the Department had not given any seriousness and treated our demand as the sound fell on the deaf ear but I would like to inform you that our Union will not give up the issue till we achieve our goal. At the latest development the matter was discussed with the Superintending Engineer(HQ) & (P&D) on 24.02.2014 in their office at Delhi by me and they have intimated that the matter will be given due weightage in consultation with the Directorate after going through the various pros and cons. We expect the Department will take a favourable decision in the near future. Secondly, the matter of promotion of MTS to the grade of Works Clerk Grade-II was taken up on 05.06.2013 against the departmental promotion quota as provided in the Recruitment Rules as you are well aware that the Chief Engineer office has called for the information regarding eligible candidates available in various circle offices three years back but no action seems to have been taken by the Directorate as far as our knowledge goes as we have not received any communication in this regard from the Department till date. Thirdly on 07.06.2013, I have requested the Chief Engineer (HQ) for periodical meeting of the Departmental Screening Committee for considering the MACP cases as prescribed by the Dept. of Personnel & Training twice in a year and allow the eligible MACP in advance to avoid undue strain to the employees. Even though we have made a request, to my regret I wanted to inform you that the MACP to me was due in the month of November, 2013 but the same was granted in the month of February, 2014 as the screening committee was not met in advance and my eligibility was granted of late. This is the attitude towards the non-gazetted staff working in the Civil Wing. Time and again new soft-wares are introduced in the Department and Civil Wing also follows the suit. But most of the presently working staff strength are illiterate in the field of computer knowledge as most of the staff is old generation education pattern in which even the basics of the computer knowledge was not at all a subject. Hence, I made a request to the higher authorities to impart refreshment and training courses to my colleagues on 10.06.2013 which will be helpful to the Department to extract more efficient work from the existing staff but the department is silent on this matter and I hope the higher authorities do not have any interest to improve the quality and quantity of civil wing work but thinks that let the things go as it is without any improvement. The Directorate has issued a circular dated 26.10.2012 raising the monetary ceiling for purchase of brief cases/ladies purses for official purpose and the same was endorsed by the Chief Engineer on 04.02.2013 to all circle offices. But the circular do not contain the designations available in the Civil Wing most of the offices have not sanctioned the same to the eligible staff who draws the grade pay of 4200/-. The matter was taken up by me on 11.06.2013 with the Chief Engineer but no result. Even though I am taking little more time to express the grievances, I hope the dignitaries on the dais may pardon me for taking some more time. Further on 12.06.2013 and time and again the matter of non-availability of the Draughtsman posts which is inevitable in the Civil/Electrical Divisions to release the Executive Engineers from lot of paper works which would have been attended by a Draughtsman due to which they are unable to concentrate on their actual work of ensuring the quality supervision in the work sites which is actually required by the Department and the Nation as the money of tax payers spent on these works. The department neither appointing directly from the open market not the departmental promotion quota due to the reason that the qualification in Recruitment Rules provides for promotion as Ferro Printer with ten years experiences. To our surprise we have made an enquiry in the department to find out at least one Ferro Printer but could not find anybody as the post is non-existing for so many years as the latest technology development does not require any blue print of the drawings anywhere. We may not find even an institute or shop where we can get the blue print of drawings as this has vanished from the present day world. Lastly the reference made by me on 28.02.2014 for promoting the MTS Group-C staff in relaxation of the present RRs and also to amend the RRs accordingly which will suit the present day world. I hope something will come out positively in the near future even though no proposals are heard by the Department for quite long time. Again on 24.06.2013, I have requested the Department to grant of the benefit of promotion with retrospective effect from the date of occurrence of the vacancy as per the land mark judgement of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India. But no reply received by us. All the time the Civil Wing officers refer to the administrative manual for various issues raised by the union for adverse effect on the benefit to the staff members. But the cadre and the benefits followed by the CPWD have never come to their notice like granting the Gazetted grade for the Office Superintendents in the Zonal/Circle Offices and eligible grade pay of Rs.4600/. The administration should know that the CPWD establishment manual is only a hand book for ready reference to CPWD officers in General and other rules of the Govt. of India but not applicable to Postal employees. Further they never notices various amendments issued from time to time by the nodal ministries and insists for adverse decisions towards the benefits available to the staff. But we strongly demand to provide the benefits available as per the FR/SRs regarding administrative matters. The Works Clerk Grade-II in Civil Wing was above the postmen cadre up to IVth Pay Commission but after the implementation of Vth and VIth Commission implementation the pay of the even the Postman was placed above WC Grade-II. The main reason for the same was non representation before the Pay Commissions by the Union lead by one of our colleague from Hyderabad for according parity of the posts in the Postal Department in all of its cadres. However, now the VIIth Pay Commission has come to effect, I assure that proper representation will be made before them for placing our staff members at the appropriate level of pay with effect from 01.01.1996. We demanded to Chief Engineer(Civil) to constitute a Joint Council with the representatives of the recognised union by our letter dated 06.12.2013 so that proper attention of the Department can be made available to the administrative machinery of Civil Wing as is done in Postal Circles, as the civil wing is a separate entity in the Department. If this is materialised our concerns can be placed effectively from time to time before the administration and we hope it may solve 75% of the problems being faced by the staff members. At last but not least I would like to state that number of staff members of civil wing are applying for Rule-38 transfer and deputation/permanent transfer basis to various cadres in the Postal Department and also outside departments as they can lead a comfortable family life in their home towns or states but the Civil Wing administration do not forward the application in most of the cases. It is discrimination to eligible candidates who seeks betterment in life and service so we strongly demand the applications should be forwarded to the concerned offices. Further it is brought to my notice that the clerical cadre staff members were transferred inter-state en-masse on joining of new appointees from Staff Selection Commission. But it is regretted to say that due to austerity measures in non-plan expenditure the TTA and other eligible payments are not being made to the effected officials months together in various offices stating the reason that there is no fund under TA is available in respective divisions except the funds reserved for higher officers for their anticipated tours and travels. This is great blow to our cadres as they have meet a heavy expenditure for their accommodation etc. in the new station towards rent and prevailing practice of heavy advances of rent for finding out a suitable accommodation. This is a heavy discrimination imposed by the officers to Group-C employees by not paying the eligible dues to them but they preserve their anticipated expenditure. This is not only in the case of transfer TA advances but in the case of sanctioning of PF advances, Children Education Allowances and other kind of eligible payments. On this discrimination Group-C staff I express my strong protest and demand it should be withdrawn immediately and the first come first serve basis should be adopted by the Drawing and Disbursing authorities immediately. As you are aware that there was two Chief Engineers office one at Delhi and other at Bangalore earlier looking after North Eastern Zone and South Western Zone respectively but for a convenience to one of the then Chief Engineer the office at Bangalore was shifted to New Delhi even without taking into the interest of the Department. Now the scenario of the works have been changed during the XII Plan and lot of plan allotment are earmarked for South Western Zonal area of the Postal Department and the zonal office at a ideally located place of South Western States is a requirement for smooth running of the civil works. We hope we may get support of all concerned to the genuine demand. Finally, I request you to extend your tireless and seamless co-operation to me to achieve the goal on the demands already placed and being placed for the benefits of our cadre. I once again assure you all that with my utmost ability I will extend my service for the benefit of my colleagues at the crucial Pay Commission period. Now I thank you all for attending this conference and making it a grand success. JAI HIND

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