COPY OF THE LETTER TO SECRETARY BY GENERAL SECRETARY

No.NUPCWE/GS/2017                                                                                                  Date : 17th April, 2017

To

Shri B.V.Sudhakar

Secretary

Department of Posts

Dak Bhawan

NEW DELHI

Subject :  Transfer and Posting in the Non-Gazetted category staff of Postal Civil Wing

Respected sir,

            With great respect and expectation from your good self on humanitarian basis to Group-C and MTS staff of the Postal Civil Wing for which the next generation staff members will ever remember you and the new recruits will find the service as attractive.

            The present scenario of the Civil Wing in respect of Group-C staff including MTS are pathetic due to the insertion the cadre in the sensitive posts by the Central Vigilance Commission latest instructions hence everybody now in service are facing lot of difficulties in service as the lowest paid employees of the employees have to change of place of posting to various outstations alike Postal Department’s other establishments.  As your good self is well aware, that as matter of policy Postal and RMS Operative Staffs is not liable to be transferred from one Division to another except on Rule-38 transfer on their request and in case of punishment or present cadre review promotion.

            The Postal Civil Wing is following all the staff pattern and nature of works which are being followed in the Central Public Works Department and Military Engineering Service, Doordarshan and AIR etc.etc.  Even though the staff pattern was following prior to bifurcation of P&T Department till 31.03.1997 thereafter only 50% of the staff strength was filled up on transfer   basis   from    various   ministries      and departments of Government of India up to 31.03.1997.  All the Postal and Telecom ministerial employees working then was relieved in full.  The Postal Civil Wing Administration have not taken up any initiative for appointment of the balance fifty percent vacancies due to which out of Works Clerk Grade-II- 339 posts Works Clerk Grade-I-117 transferred from DOT were reduced to Works Clerk Grade-I – 02 and Works Clerk Grade-II -178 were abolished vide office order No.3-7/2009-CEND/1489 dated 30.08.2010 i.e. more than 50% of the available posts as on 31.03.2010.  This is not because of the policy of 10% reduction on year to year vacancy basis by the Government but because of the inaction of the Civil Wing Administration since 01.04.1997.   However, the existing staffs by putting up their maximum efficiency the civil wing works has been running smoothly in one or other way up to the satisfaction of the Circle Heads.    

            Further to the existing acute shortage of staff considering other engineering departments of the Government of India where the turnover of the Division Offices is more or less equal to our offices also.  As per the information received under RTI by the undersigned the average turnover of each Civil Division is more than 7.00 crores and Electrical Divisions 8.00 crores.  For incurring the expenditure the Division Office has dealt with average 127 tenders in Civil Division and 141 tenders in Electrical Divisions.  For maintaining all the formalities of tendering, entering agreements and up to payment to the bills to contractors excluding the administrative and establishment works and dealing with Arbitration and Court Cases, RTI cases every Division is facing difficulties with the existing staff.  A snake bite happened to a person in addition to a thunder stroke, now the Department has reduced 25 posts of Works Clerk Grade-II vide order No.1-3/2016-CWP/316 dated 03.11.2016 may be because of an apex court Judgement or so accordingly the number of post of Works Clerk Grade-II has been again reduced to 136 in place of 161. Immediately on receipt of the order from the Directorate, the Civil Wing Administration has issued an office order No.1-3/2-16-CWP/255 dated 02.02.2017.  In this connection we would like to state in the operative side of Postal Department, large numbers of posts have been abolished but the Directorate has redistributed the posts to Circle Heads for issue of orders of transfer and postings wherever necessary.  But in the case of Civil Wing Administration the Chief Engineer himself has decided the distribution of posts and adamant to transfer the lower paid employees of Works Clerk Grade-II to remote places of the Country whereas the same administration could not fill up the vacancies of MTS 642 sanctioned posts for more than two years. 

            Further to say that Civil Wing Administration is very much concerned about the functioning of the office of Assistant Engineers where there is at the most four to five tenders are being processed in a year whereas the Division Offices are processing more than 6.00/8.00 crores work tenders and bills.  It is insisted by the Chief Engineers officers to Superintending Engineers to transfer the clerical posts to Assistant Engineers office from Division Office as per the new distribution issued on 02.02.2017.  As per the new distribution only three clerks and one Assistant (which was a supervisory post of Head Clerk earlier) is left out to Division Offices in some cases only two clerks only available.  This will jeopardise the total functioning of the Division Offices and the Union will not be held responsible for any lapse in the functioning of Division Office and also state that we will not permit to harass or fixing responsibility on any staff member for the lapses in functioning.  No time bound booking of funds should be insisted on the staff and denial of their legitimate right of availing admissible leave etc.  Incidentally I would like to state that in some Civil Divisions there are staff working on deputation basis from the operative side or circle office.  Now on abolition of various posts in the Postal Operative Side and Cadre Review approval there are all possibility to withdraw these staff from our offices due to shortage of staff in operative side which is important for the Department than the Civil Wing affairs. 

          It is further stated on bifurcation of the Department of P&T, the Postal Civil wing was having more than 398 posts of Junior Engineers.  As in the case of clerical staff, no appointment was made by the Department of Posts till 2009 to the posts of Junior Engineers and 50% posts were occupied either by the staff of BSNL or on deputation from various Departments like AIR.  Hence 198 posts and 9 posts were abolished vide No.3-45/2001-CWP(Part)/ dated 05.06.2009 and No.1-3/2016-CWP/178 dated 17.10.2016 respectively accordingly the Chief Engineer distributed 195 posts vide their order No.1-3/2016-CWP/184 dated 25.10.2016 leaving two Junior Engineers in a Sub-Division. 

            The Jurisdiction of one Sub-Division comprises of minimum 300 square kilometres and having at least four Postal Divisions.  These two Junior Engineers who are the actual executors of the works at site are responsible for the preparation of estimates, co-ordination with the contractor, ensuring quality of work, measurement at site, preparation of bills and also assisting Assistant Engineers/Executive Engineers for fixing fair rent assessment of the rented buildings.  Whenever a small lapse on the part of the Junior Engineers are viewed seriously by the superiors and they are very much interested in issuing memos and framing charges against them to get rid of their responsibility for the lapses happened in the works.  For getting efficient discharge of duties and quality of work the jurisdiction of the each Junior Engineers should be placed for each Postal Divisions for which creation of posts is required so that it can be at par with CPWD/MES/AIR. 

            In some Circles, the Chief Postmaster General has accorded sanctions for official mobile phone connections to Junior Engineers but in some circles it is not permitted by Circle Offices.  There are no uniformity in providing facilities to the staff members of Civil Wing.

            We would like to state an example of a case of harassment to a female Junior Engineer who has directly came from college to service and without imparting any training by the Department she has received memos from the second week of her service and even on her marriage date a memo was issued to her by the Assistant Engineer.  Now on closure of the financial year the number of letters issued to her numbered to more than 250 that too back dated and without acknowledgement.  The superior officers like Assistant Engineer and Executive Engineer is threatening with degradation of APAR grading so that her extension probation period and denial of other benefits like leave etc.  The intention of these officers is not for extracting the work but for the reason best known to them.  When she submitted the appeal to the Superintending Engineer for re-consideration with facts and figures, she is receiving more threats which is leading to threat of her peaceful family life.  Some Executive Engineers are in the habit of sending SMS at odd hours for attending faraway places of work side at early morning knowingly that they cannot attend that place at the time and for recording and issuing memo purpose.

            Whenever, a case of administrative nature case for approval/sanction send to office of Circle Offices/Headquarter office in the case of non-gazetted staff the same is not disposed off timely and takes months together.  If we take up the case with those offices informally the answer received by us is that there is shortage of staff hence delay.  But it is regretted to say that whenever a case of senior officers is referred the same is returned within no time.  We could not understand how it is possible for senior officers but denied to non-gazetted staff.  To prove this we furnish an example that an LTC case of a disabled person who used his own car for the purpose stands referred to Civil Circle Office for getting the approval of Head of the Department which is pending for more than nine months.  But if a LTC/TA bill of any senior officers is received in any office the payment is made within no time.

            One Junior Engineer (Civil) was transferred from other state to his home state as per his option for transfer.  Immediately on joining the place of his actual posting he was provided with an additional charge in other Sub-Division which is away for more than 750 kilometres without any extra remuneration.  Now the incumbent is neither able to concentrate in his original posting nor in the additional charge. Now the person is spending more time in transit than in work.   In the case of the Junior Engineers posted in North Eastern Region the incumbent has travel in hilly areas for more than one day to reach the work site from his headquarters so as human habit they try to avoid the restless travelling which definitely may affect the quality of work also.  If the posting is made in the Postal Divisional Offices it will be convenient to them to proper supervision of work and can ensure the quality to the extent of expenditure made from the Govt. Exchequer.

            It is further submitted that the nodal ministry has issued orders for cadre review and cadre restructuring on the basis of the accepted VIth Pay Commission Report which came into force from 01.01.2006.  But it is regretted to say that after a prolonged correspondences by us to administration the same has not yet done till today i.e. even after VIIth Pay Commission which would have benefited us. 

            We are thankful for granting us positive hearing on 28.03.2017 under the chairperson ship of Major General  Meena Datta, Additional Director General(Co-ordination).  The minutes of the meeting is not yet issued but the Chief Engineer and Superintending Engineers are very keen and adamant to issue the transfer orders as pick and choose basis in the absence of uniform transfer and posting policy and in some cases it has already been issued which is against the decision of the meeting.

            In view of the above, we request that the following direction may kindly be conveyed to Civil Wing Administration for which we shall be grateful.

1.       To hold the transfers and postings in the grade of ministerial staff till finalisation of uniform transfer posting policy for entire Civil Wing as there no policy is available as on date.  The policy has to be finalised in consultation with the recognised union representative otherwise we will be compelled to approach Court of Law for getting justice

2.     Appointment of available posts as on date

3.     Time bound cadre review of ministerial cadre and according the benefits from 01.01.2006

4.     Creation of posts as per the proposals submitted by us on 28.03.2017

5.     Creation of post of one Junior Engineer (Civil) in each Postal Divisional Headquarters and one Junior Engineer (Elect) for two Postal Divisional offices.

We expect a favourable and kind decision in favour of non-gazetted staff working in Civil Wing

Thanking you,

Yours faithfully,

(K.SIVADASAN)

GENERAL SECRETARY

Copy to: Major General Smt.Meera Datta, Additional Director General (Co-ordination), Department of Posts, Dak Bhawan, New Delhi. Kindly recall the discussions held on 28.03.2017.p  We expect a favourable and judicial decision to avoid hard ships to the lower paid employees

GENERAL SECRETARY