THE ITEMS DISCUSSED WITH THE DEPARTMENT ON 28.03.2017 ON ISSUE OF STRIKE NOTICE FROM 29.03.2017

1.           WITHDRAWAL OF ORDER NO.F.NO.1-3/2016-WP/255 DATED 02.02.2017& 06.02.2017:-

On bifurcation of the Department of Posts and Department of Telecom the posts of ministerial cadre was transferred from DOT as follows:-

Works Clerk Grade-II                 -         339

Works Clerk Grade-I                 -         117

Head Clerk                               -           27

Office Superintendent              -                  9

Up to 31.03.1997 these posts were occupying by the Telecom Assistants and Postal Assistants. The Department of Posts have commenced the direct appointment in the cadres of Civil Wing since 2010 only.  Till 1997 the filling up of the posts were done by either on deputation or inter-departmental transfers up to 50% of total sanctioned strength.  Since 1997 to 2009 there was no appointment in any cadre by direct recruitment due to non-finalization of Recruitment Rules. Without considering the lapses in recruitment process by the Department all the vacant posts stands abolished vide order No.3-7/2009-CEND/1489 dated 30.08.2010 as per the Government policy prevailing at that time without conducting any work study or actual requirement of the posts.  Due this abolition each and every office was facing acute shortage of staff and heavy work load on the meager available staff.

Now the Department have issued an order No.F-1-3/2016-CWP/255 dated 02.02.2017 vide which it has abolished further 25 posts of Works Clerk Grade-II and distributed the staff amongst the offices without any consideration of work load and in a non-manageable manner to run these offices due to over load on the existing staff.  Even if the staff puts their 24x7 service the workload cannot be met out.  The curtailment of staff strength affected very badly the promotional aspects of the existing staff also and the female staff members are facing lot of difficulties to avail the Child Care Leave/Maternity Leave as the leave sanctioning authorities are rejecting the applications stating the reason of shortage of staff and workload.

 As per the information obtained under RTI by us, each and every office of Executive Engineers have on an average basis executed works of 8.00 crores on every financial years during the last five years by following 121 tender formalities and agreements. Even though the pattern of working in Civil Wing following CPWD formalities, the jurisdiction of the offices are not as in CPWD.  They are having on an average basis 10 to 14 Civil Division Offices and one Electrical Division for three Civil Divisions in each state, whereas in our Department there is only one Civil Division Office for each State. The jurisdiction of Electrical Division consists more than the jurisdiction of Superintending Engineer, Postal Civil Circle. The Junior Engineers jurisdiction in CPWD limits below 30 to 40 geographical square kilometer, whereas in our Department for more than 250 geographical square kilometer including hilly regions.  For example one Junior Engineer is attending the works of more than two states in North East Region where everybody will appreciate that most of the areas situated in hilly/snowfall areas.  The Junior Engineer who visits a site in North East Area takes two days for single inspection and before completing the work he had to travel at least four to five times during the course of execution of work by contractors. Hence the post of Junior Engineers should be increased to four in each Sub-Divisions to meet the requirement of proper supervision.

 The actual requirement of staff in Circle/Division/Sub-Division Offices are furnished in a flow chart form in next two pages :-

CIRCLE OFFICE

1.   ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER now Office Superintendent :-Considering the importance of this post, the CPWD has upgraded the post of Office Superintendent to Assistant Administrative Officer in gazetted rank vide their Order No.48(1)/4/09/S&D/363 dated 30.06.2012.  The duties of this posts clearly mentioned in the CPWD Manual.  It is therefore proposed that as the Office Superintendent working in the Civil Wings may be re-designated as Assistant Administrative Officers and assigned the duties stipulated in the CPWD Manual

2.   WORKS CLERK GRADE-I : The actual requirement of this cadre is 5 Nos. in Circle Office as detailed below

i)             1 For Assisting Executive Engineer (Planning & Development)

ii)            1 For Administrative matters of all Gazetted officers falling under the Circle.

iii)          1 For Administrative matters including cadre controlling like MACP, Promotion, Posting & Transfers, Seniority of Non-Gazetted staff falling under the Circle Office

iv)          1 for RTI, Preparation of Pay Bills etc. Submission of reports,

v)           1 for House Keeping , Court Cases, Arbitration Cases,   Enlistment of contractors

3.  WORKS CLERK GRADE-II

a)   1 For cashier of Circle Office

b)   1 For Assisting EE (P&D)

c)    1 For Diary & Dispatch & miscellaneous like assisting Asst.Admn. Officer in emergent situations.  

DIVISION OFFICE

I.             ASSISTANT SECTION OFFICER :  Presently as per the instructions of the Chief Engineer, Civil there is no supervisory posts in the Division Office but the Assistants then Head Clerk are compelled to attend the supervisory works of the administrative side of the Division Office.  The duties of the then Head Clerk is clearly mentioned in the CPWD Manual. Now the CPWD has re-designated the post of Head Clerk as Office Superintendent.  Since the Department of Personnel & Training in latest orders the posts of Assistants have been re-designated as Assistant Section Officers.  It is therefore proposed that as the Assistants working in the Civil Wings may be re-designated as Assistant Section Officers and assigned the duties stipulated in the CPWD Manual excluding duties of the assisting the Executive Engineer for Arbitration and Court Cases.

II.            Works Clerk Grade-I – 6 Nos. in total is required. 

1 Each for looking after the auditing and allied works of each Sub-Divisions under the Division Office   ACTUAL – 4 Nos.

1     for Establishment matters

1     for Preparation of Pay Bills and other dues to officers and staff 

III.       Works Clerk Grade-II – 4 Nos.

1     Cashier  and Enlistment of Contractors correspondences

1       Budget, RTI and submission of monthly reports

1       House keeping and General matters

1    Uploading tenders and Diary Dispatch.

2.Implementation of Cadre Review in Civil Wing non-gazetted staff :- In accordance with the accepted report of VIth CPC, the Cadre Review of all cadres was mandatory. But the Civil Wing has constituted a Committee headed by the Superintending Engineer (P&D) in the Civil Wing, Department of Posts, New Delhi for considering the cadre restructuring of the non-gazetted ministerial staff at fag end without any justification for delay on the basis of prevailing Government orders to consider the cadre reviews in all cadres.  The Union members were also attended as members of the Committee meetings and put forth proposals in this regard.  After a long deliberations the Committee finalized a report and submitted to the Chief Engineer (Civil) for consideration and implementation of the same in the March, 2015.  But due to best reason known to the administrative authorities the same has not yet been either approved or implemented.  The benefit of the cadre review is due since 01.01.2006 as per the recommendation of the Committee and in accordance with the VI Pay Commission. But in the last formal meeting held with the Chief Engineers by the Union Representatives it was informed that the file has been returned from the Directorate with some observations and when we enquired about the observations it was told that it is nothing to do with the Union but by the office.  When minutes of the meeting issued it is noted that the Union has to be furnish new proposals for Cadre Review.  When the matter was included in the Departmental Council also the same has been reiterated.  Actually, the office of Chief Engineer has informally told to one of the Union Representative that the details of the Cadre Review dealt in Directorate may be obtained if possible and the matter will be taken up accordingly.  The Cadre Review of the Civil Wing is highly over due to the staff members and the staff of Civil Wing may be brought at par with the other Departmental Staff.

3.Rule-38 transfers to Works Clerk Grade-II and Junior Engineers:-  Number of applications from the staff members are pending in the Chief Engineers office for Rule-38 transfers to the home state or nearby state as newly recruited staff by the Staff Selection Commission has allotted candidates to very far places from the home states.  The Chief Engineer has turned number of applications by mere reasons of non-declaration of probation period of the staff members.  The belated action of the Department for issuing the confirmation order by the Civil Circle Heads is not because of the reason in the control of the staff members.  Further, as per existing orders of the Government a person who has been appointed against the regular post and completes the probation period successfully are considered to be confirmed against the posts.  The matter may be reviewed and the orders for transfers wherever vacancy exists may be issued. 

4.Promotion of Works Clerk Grade-II and M.T.S:-  The Recruitment Rules provides for the promotion quota for both the Works Clerk Grade-I and Works Clerk Grade-II from the grade of W.C.Grade-II and MTS respectively.  But in most of the Civil Circle offices are not filling up the vacancies due to mere reasons.  The Civil Administration may be directed to take immediate necessary action to fill up all vacant posts of Works Clerk Grade-I and Grade-II

5.Recruitment of Draughtsman posts:-  The post of Draughtsman is a mandatory post in Civil and Electrical Divisions for assisting in technical nature of works to the Executive Engineer in finalization of estimates, drawings and bills.  But as on date ninety percent of these offices are not having any Draughtsman posts exists but that works are got it done through the clerical cadre officials which is highly against the procedures and code of utilization of financial powers of the Executive Engineers.  The Recruitment Rules for the post of Draughtsman has since been finalized and published by the Department very recently.  Action to fill up the vacancies on promotion from the eligible candidates can be done very easily and the process of direct recruitment should also be commenced.  The RR provides for promotion of MTS @ 0.5% only.  Hence the post will be covered in each circles hence it should taken as on All India Basis and the promotions to the eligible candidates in their circles should be considered.   

6.Up-gradation of Office Superintendent posts in Civil Circle as Assistant Administrative Officer:-  At present the posts of Office Superintendents in the Civil Circle are posted in the Non-Gazetted posts as is done is CPWD offices.  Now the CPWD has upgraded the post of Office Superintendents to Gazetted rank and amended the designation as Assistant Administrative Officer.  The action is warranted in Postal Department also.  At present the Engineering Officers are posted to assist the Superintending Engineers in the administrative matters who can be diverted to their engineering fields instead of administrative works.  The capability of disposing of the administrative matters will be higher than the engineering cadre officers as the office superintendents are promotional posts of the clerical cadre of the Civil Wing hence they are well versed with the administrative and nature of civil wing works.

7.Redesignation of post of Assistant to Assistant Section Officers:-  At present there is no supervisory posts in Division Offices are available as per the latest instructions of Civil wing Administration.  An official is getting promotion to the grade of Assistant in the civil wing is after more than twenty years of service and they should be assigned with the supervisory nature of works and their designation should be Assistant Section Officer as was done by the Department of Personnel and Training recently.

8.Exclusion of ministerial staff from outstation postings:-  As on date the ministerial staff in Group-C are liable to be transferred within the jurisdiction of Postal Civil Circles which is covering three to four states.  The transfers of the Group-C to other states disturb their living and establishment of family life in their respective home states.  Hence the liability of transfer should be restricted to Divisional Level.

9.Formation of JOINT COUNCIL IN CIVIL ESTABLISHMENT:-  The joint council is formed in every Postal Circles but there is no joint council machinery in the Civil Wing.  Due to non-availability of the joint council we do not have any platform to raise our issues before the administrative heads as the CPMGs are not entertaining any issues relating to Civil Wing stating that they are incompetent to direct the administrative offices of Civil Wing to sort out the issues in Civil Wing and hence lot of issues raised by the unions are not attended by the administration.  It is therefore requested that Civil Wing Administration may be directed to constitute the JCM machinery immediately so that most of our issues can be sorted out then and there.  

(K.SIVADASAN)

GENERAL SECRETARY