7th CPC Anomaly Committee, Allowances, MACP, Pay upgradation, Autonomous Bodies issue: Employees are under multipronged attack says CCGGOO

Dated: 20.04. 2017.

“If we all stand together we are a force that can shake the whole world”.

To

All Office bearers and the Secretaries General of Constituent Organizations

Dear Friends,

Meeting with the Joint Secretary (pers) Department of Expenditure: Additional Secretary General of CCGGOO Shri.Bhaskar Bhattacharya, Organising Secretary S.S.Chauhan, T.A.Mariappan, along with S.Mohan, Secretary General met the Joint Secretary (Personnel) in the Room No 39 A, North Block, Finance Ministry, on 11th April 2017 and discussed the following issues.

I. Appointment of Anomaly Committee: We expressed our Concern that the anomaly committee recently appointed to rectify the anomalies arising out of the Seventh Central Pay Commission would deal only with those represented by the staff Side JCM organisations and there would be no apex level mechanism to rectify the anomalies arising out of the 7th Central Pay Commission common to the Gazetted Officers and the promotee Cadre. We reiterated that there is need for the right to represent about the anomalies arising out of the 7th Central Pay Commission before the committee or any other forum nominated for this purpose. The anomalies arising out of the Seventh Central Pay Commission affecting the Gazetted and Promotee Officers common to two or more departments may be heard by this committee or any other separate committee exclusively for this purpose. It is a matter of regret that our repeated representations remain not responded. More than lakh Gazetted officers are seeking to represent their Grievances on anomalies through this Confederation before the Government.

Further, it has already been submitted that there are anomalies pertaining to the cadre of Gazetted officers in the Government of India. Various Levels have been suggested by the pay commission for the entry cadre as Gazetted Officer and there no uniformity exists. In some departments 4 years service was considered for granting non functional upgradation of Level 9 whereas in some other departments no such upgradation exists. The need for an apex body for

the Gazetted and promotee officers cannot be ignored. Joint Secretary responded that it was a matter of concern of the Department of Personnel. After prolonged discussion she agrees to pursue this matter with the Secretay DoPT.

II. Treatment of AAO as the entry point in other Accounting Sectors: The Comptroller and Auditor General has issued orders treating the appointment of departmental SAS passed persons to the post of Assistant Accounts/Audit Officer as new service for the purpose of benefits under MACP Scheme. Accordingly it has been decided that appointment of SAS Qualified persons to the post of AAO shall be treated as direct recruitment for the purpose of grant of benefits under ACP/MACP scheme. Therefore the service rendered by the AAOs in lower pay scale/ grade pay shall not be counted for the purpose of benefits under ACP /MACP scheme. The regular service for the purpose of grant of benefits under ACP/MACP scheme shall be counted from the date of appointment to the post of AAO (erstwhile post of Section Officer). The notional benefit of financial up-gradation under ACP/MACP scheme to serving and retired persons would be admissible from the date on which the official became eligible However, the actual monetary benefit of pay and allowances/pension shall be admissible from the date of issue of the order. It was demanded that similar benefit should also be extended to other accounting streams in the Central Government Setup. Joint Secretary responded that the recruitment rule of AAO in the Indian Audit and Accounts Department is not similar with the other Accounting Streams. In Indian Audit and Accounts Department, there was 100% posts available to those who qualify in the SAS Examination whereas in other accounting Streams, 10to 20 percent posts were allocated to the seniority basis; however, if those departments agrees to amend the recruitment rule on par with the Indian audit and Accounts department then this matter would be considered.

III. Allowances: We expressed our anguish that even after the implementation of 7th CPC in respect of Pay; the allowances were not revised even after a long period of 20 months. We reiterated that the existing percentage of allowances should continue and it should be from 01.01.2016. The Joint Secretary responded that the matter was still under process. The question of submitting the report of Allowances Committee to the Government did not arise as the Committee was headed by none other than Secretary Finance and would be discussed further amongst the Secretaries.

IV. Pay and Allowances to Autonomous bodies: Normally, the Pay and Allowances of the Autonomous bodies were granted along with implementation the Central Pay Commission’s recommendations to the Central Government Employees, whereas this time, this procedure was not followed. After prolonged insistence by the Staff Associations and the CCGGOO the revised pay scales of autonomous bodies were notified. But even after the notification, in many of the autonomous bodies the revision has not been implemented by the respective Ministries. We insisted that effective intervention of Finance Ministry alone would compel other Ministries for implementation of 7th Central Pay Commission pay levels to the Employees and Officers of those institutions attached with those Ministries. It was stated that a committee has been appointed, to analyses the financial affairs, the

feasibility of the continuance existence of the autonomous bodies, the services rendered by them, the self reliance of those institutions, and the need for the Institutions in the larger interest of those autonomous bodies. Based on the findings of that committee, the Finance Ministry cleared these pay scale issues on case to case basis.

V. Laptops to IT Officers: The delegation of CCGGOO raised the issue of providing Laptops to all Gr. A & Gr. B officers as sanctioned by the Hon’ble Finance minister, GOI out of the ‘1% Incentive Infrastructure Fund’ earned by the Income Tax Department for excess revenue collection. The Joint Secretary (Pers) mentioned that as the provision for Laptops were proposed to be purchased from the ‘1% Incentive Infrastructure Fund’, it was in the nature of a reward to the officers of the Income Tax Department and not exactly for the purpose of functional exigency and so, the proposal would be cleared following the due procedures and in due course. While argued upon by the delegation of CCGGOO, she directed her office to look into the matter and expedite it.

VI. Grade pay of 5400 to AAOs who completed 4 years of Service: 6th Central Pay Commission accepted the above demand. However, the Government did not implement this. Owing to the persistent persuasion by the Audit and Accounts cadre before the 7th Central Pay Commission, the 7th CPC also recommended. In this back drop, the delegation of Gazetted Officers met Shri.Vijayakumar, Director, Pay Commission Implementation Cell and insisted for the notification of the resolution of the Government. The Director responded that the Pay Commission Implementation Cell was ready if the DoPT agreed. We reminded this issue before the Joint Secretary (Personnel) for intervention and ensure early decision in this regard. The Joint Secretary (Personnel) responded that this matter was pending before the DoPT and agrees to pursue it.

Dear Friends,

We are under multipronged attack. The Government is determined to deny the Central Government Gazetted Officers, their legitimate demands such as Formulation of Grievance Redressal Mechanism to the Gazetted officers to settle the problems; even the assurance by Group of Ministers to revisit the minimum wage is not honored. Allowances on revised pay are denied for more than a year and refused to ensure minimum pension and exclude Central Government Gazetted Officers from New Pension Scheme. Contractorisation is the order of the day. Government functions are being corporatized as is happening in CPWD. This corporotisation is a prelude to privatisation. The personnel of autonomous bodies are not paid based on revised pay scales even though OM extending the 7 CPC recommendations has been issued. Bonus paid to them is being recovered. The Government is not in a mood to take back the Very Good bench mark requirement for the promotion and financial upgradation including increment to the Gazetted Officers. No light is sighted for the MACP benefit in the next promotional hierarchy. No cases pending before the legal system have been disposed. Even after the disposal in favour of the Gazetted officers the same verdicts have not been implemented by the Government.

All these are warning to all Central Government Gazetted Officers and its Employees. The hard earned rights could be under attack any time, in the days to come, if we do not resist the policies and decisions that have anything to do with denial of our rights. This situation can be overcome only by consistent struggle, building unity amongst us and refusing to trust the rumours spread by the unscrupulous vested interests. It is imperative that all field units prepare the members for bitter struggle to achieve our demands. A vibrant, democratic Confederation alone can organise a fight back. If Gazetted Officers don’t have an organisation, it is difficult for them to have any power to fight for their rights. If Gazetted officers don’t have an organisation you do not have middle class. If you do not have middle class you do not have democracy. Build strong state level CCGGOO in order to have power to fight for our rights and ensure democracy.

Yours Fraternally,

sd/-

S.Mohan

Secretary General

Source: [CCGGOO pdf]