NFPE WRITES TO Dte DEMANDING JUSTICE TO POSTMASTERS

NATIONAL FEDERATION OF POSTAL EMPLOYEES

CHQ: 1^st Floor, North Avenue Post Office Building, New Delhi - 110001

 

Ref: PF/NFPE/Staff                                                               Dated – 16.07.2014

To

The Secretary

Department of Posts

Dak Bhawan, New Delhi – 110001

Sir,

Sub: -    Continuing injustice to the Postmaster cadre – request for remedial measures – reg.

By various references the injustice caused to the Postmaster cadre official have been brought to the notice of the Directorate but the results of the actions taken are yet to come. The minds of the affected Postmaster cadre officials are in the burning state and this disappointed category needs and deserves justice on the following issues.

1.       It is happened while calling for volunteers to Postmaster cadre, it was assured to the applicants under initial constitution vide para 4, 5, 6 of the Directorate letter No. DG (P) No. 4-17/2008-SPB II dated 07.02.2011, that the same years as minimum Qualifying service will be adhered for the promotions of Postmaster grade I to Postmaster Grade II and Postmaster III as in the cases of LSG to HSG II and HSG II to HSG I. Many senior HSG II officials opted for PM Grade II are now bypassed by junior HSG II officials remained in the General line by getting HSG I on completion of 3 years of Qualifying Service.

As assured during the initial constitution of Postmaster Grade by Directorate to maintain same qualifying service, all the Postmaster Grade II officials having 3 years of service in HSG II & PM Grade II combinedly may be promoted to Postmaster Grade III by taking into account of anomaly caused to Postmaster Grade II officials. The above matter was taken up with the Directorate in the JCM Departmental Council meeting on 27/11/2103 under Sl. No. 12 and Item No. 73 and the staff side was replied that the proposal is being drafted for sending it for the DOPT/UPSC for relaxation of recruitment rules in order to promote Postmaster Grade II to Postmaster Grade III with 3 years of service in Postmaster Grade II/HSG II.

Till date, no positive action in this regard has come out and the fate of the affected Postmaster Grade officials are still worsening as their junior counter parts in erstwhile HSG II gradation list are now promoted to HSG I and some become Postmaster Grade III under belated initial constitution while the senior erstwhile HSG II officials earlier opted for PM Grade II are in the same Post.

The above injustice anomaly tampered the ambitions and rightful career aspirations that can never happen in any other administration or department.

2.       On several occasions in person and through writing it is being requested to convene a special meeting exclusively for the problems and issues of the Postmaster Cadre. But for unknown reasons, the above request is not materialized till date. A meeting is required to be convened exclusively for Postmaster cadre issues which may lead to sort out the bottle necks.

3.       In the year 2011, 2012 when the PS Group ‘B’ exam were conducted, the optees for Postmaster Grade despite their LSG service for more than 5 years are denied abruptly to sit in the examination. A fair number of senior and efficient officials opted for Postmaster cadre was kept out from the race of PS Group ‘B’ and their career ambition is ignored in an unscientific manner. In the same way, young and dynamic Postmaster Grade I officials are denied to sit in the IP examination to enhance their grade pay and career option which is not inconsonance with the natural justice. If the grade Pay of an IP is equivalent to Postmaster Grade-I, then nobody will opt for IP cadre, but the Postmaster Grade-I is designed as less than that of IP cadre.

The Postmaster Cadre officials are to be made eligible is sit in PS Group ‘B’ and IP examination if they desire so. This is not only to fulfill the career aspirations of young PM Grade officials, but at large beneficial to the department also. Recently CAT Chennai has ordered to publish the results of Postmaster cadre officials appeared in PS Group ‘B’ 2011 examinations.

4.       The financial, administrative and disciplinary powers of PM Grade are to be enhanced to the required level to conduct their offices in optimum. The delegation of powers to administer their offices is the need of the hour in the changed technological scenario and now the time has ripen.

5.       It is desirable on our part that the entire posts of Senior postmasters to be given to the Postmaster Grade officials. Even though Senior Postmaster is in the hierarchy of Postmaster Cadre, it is pitiable to note that no Postmaster Grade officials are eligible to sit in the LDCE. The Post of Senior Postmaster shall be increased and 50% may be apportioned for LDCE in which the PM cadre officials are made eligible to compete and the remaining 50% is to be for the promotions to PM Grade III officials.

6.       In the present trend and juncture, the role of Postmaster to lead a post office with multifarious tasks deserved them for enhanced pay scale counting their responsibilities and importance to pass the miles to come, their pay scales need a revision and it is expected to recommend such revision by the department to 7^th CPC.

The problems and issue of the Postmaster cadre officials are not exhaustive but illustrative. The above main issues are long expected and it is requested to convene a meeting with the unions/JCM to once again present our case and arguments to the new Secretary (P) and grant justice to the Postmaster Cadre officials.

A line in reply is much awaited

With found regards,

Yours faithfully,

(M. Krishnan)

Secretary General