Combined Cadre Restructuring of Group A, B and C services on the Railways: IRTSA writes to Railway Board

Combined Cadre Restructuring of Group A, B and C services on the Railways: IRTSA writes to Railway Board

INDIAN RAILWAYS TECHNICAL SUPERVISORS ASSOCIATION
(Estd. 1965, Regd. No.1329)

M. Shanmugam,
Central President, IRTSA
# 4, Sixth Street, TVS Nagar,
Padi, Chennai – 600050. Mob:09443140817

Harchandan Singh,
General Secretary, IRTSA,
C.Hq. 32, Phase 6, Mohali,
Chandigarh-160055
(Ph:0172-2228306,9316131598)

No:IRTSA/CHQ/Memo.2020-11

Date:28.10.2020

Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
Railway Board New Delhi

Sub: Combined Cadre Restructuring of Group A, B and C services on the Railways

1. Senior Section Engineers (SSE) in the category of Technical Supervisors were given no improvement in the Cadre Restructuring since 1984 and Junior Engineers (JE) are eligible for only one promotion in their cadre as apparent from the following table – in spite of manifold increase in duties and responsibilities of the Technical Supervisors I Rail Engineers:
2. NO IMPROVEMENT FOR SSE IN THE CADRE STRUCTURE OF TECHNICAL SUPERVISOR

3. There has been no upgrading or Cadre Restructuring of the Apex Grade of Group ‘C’ ever on the Railways – (either in 1979, 1984, 1993, 2003 or 2013). Consequently there is extreme stagnancy & resultant frustration amongst the incumbents of the Apex Grade ‘C’- especially amongst the Technical Supervisors I Rail Engineers on the Railways.

4. The post of SSE in the pay scale 2375-3200 in 4th CPC, Rs.7450-11500 in 5th CPC, G.P Rs.4600 in 5th CPC and Pay Level-7 in 7th CPC had not received any upgradation in the past five cadre restructuring exercises.

5. There has been substantial increase in the duties and responsibilities over the years of the Technical Supervisors I Rail Engineers (JEs & SSEs) due to modernisation and advancement of technology on the Railways – but this has not been recognised or remunerated in any manner whatsoever – especially in the case of Senior Section Engineers.
6. Most of the employees get 3 or 4 promotions or even more in their service in Railways, except JEs & It is pertinent that JEs with Diploma in Engineering and one year training and SSEs with Graduate in Engineering and one year of on the job training – are getting stagnated in the Apex Group C scale without any further avenue of promotion except in rare 2% cases. JEs enter in Pay Level-6 will get only one promotion to Pay Level-7. SSE with Graduate in Engineering qualification enter in Pay Level-7 and will remain stagnant in the entry grade itself. The JEs & SSEs rot at Pay Level-7 throughout their career since they have very meager number of posts in Group-B.

7. Less than 2% of Technical Supervisors – (entering with Diploma or Degree in Engineering) – reach Group B level and only a small fraction thereof reach Group A level- due to very meager number of Posts in Group A & B vis-a-vis Group ‘C’ and non­ implementation of DoPTs orders regarding Classification of Posts – issued after the last five Pay Commissions on the Railways. Large majority of Technical Supervisors do not get promotion to the Gazetted cadre except in a very few cases and that too at the fag end of their career. Even after acquiring long years of experience and expertise they remain and mostly retire in the Supervisory cadre itself.

8. Terms of reference of Cadre Restructuring Committees have not allowed the CRC Committees to do the cadre restructure exercise in pan-railways approach taking all management & cadre issue into Instead work of CRC committee had been restricted to Group ‘C’ defeating basic purpose of CRC.
9. In the new scenario of high speed train operation, technological improvements, improved passenger amenities, handling of higher volume of traffic and management requirements thereof, it is requested that Combined “Cadre Restructuring” of posts in Group ‘A’, ‘B’ & ‘C’ may please be considered to upgrade adequate number of Group C posts to Group A & B – to fully meet with the job requirements of the posts of Technical Supervisors on Railways – keeping in view the following facts:
10. In the Technical Departments of Engineering, Mechanical, Electrical, Signal & Telecommunications and Stores, only 3447 Group B posts for 77 lakh posts of Group C & D, i.e. just 0.44% posts are available in Group-B – as indicated in the Tables below:
11. Analysis of Staff Strength in the Technical departments of IR as on 31st March 2019

(Ref: Indian Railways Annual Statistical Statement for the year 2018-19)

12. In fact, number of Group-B posts in Technical departments of Railways had witnessed negative It was reduced from 4274 to 3447 between the year 2009 and 2019. Thus strength of Group-B posts was reduced by 20% in a period of ten years.
13. In spite of more complex nature of duties and higher responsibilities on account of requirements of Safety & modernisation, Railways have the lowest %age of Gazetted posts in Group A & B vis-a-vis total strength – in comparison to total strength of all Central Government departments.

  (Ref: Dept of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance, Annual report on Pay & Allowances of Central Government employees for the year 2017-18)

14. In the present scenario of huge investments and fast & prompt completion of new projects, more number of posts in gazetted cadre is essentially required, so that decision making and accountability can be broadened in the administrative hierarchy.
15. Railway Board made a principle decision for combined cadre restructuring long back, part of minutes of Board meeting is given under,
    1. It would be relevant to point out that on Indian Railways, Group ‘B’ officers constitute only 5% of its total workforce whereas, the average in respect of Group ‘B’ officers for All India Central Government employees comes to 5.6% i.e. 10.6 times higher as compared to Railway Group ‘B’ officers. Further, with reference to the Ministry of Culture which has the second lowest percentage of Group ‘B’ officers this ratio is 1:6 as compared to Railways. In this context, it is imperative that for efficient and effective utilization of existing manpower resources on Railways, the ratio of Group ‘B’ officer vis-a-vis non gazetted employees is to be improved keeping in view the functional consideration.
    2. b) While the proposal for upgradation on above lines was under consideration the earlier AM (Staff) discussed the matter with both the Federations regarding upgradation of certain percentages of Group ‘C’ posts to Group ‘B’ gazette post and also regarding simplification in the selection procedure for Group ‘B’ Based on the said deliberations a Note for Discussion in Board’s Meeting was submitted. The said Note was considered in full Board meeting held on 29.11.2011 and Board directed as under:-
    3. c) “Board directed that a comprehensive proposal on restructuring involving Group ‘C’, Group ‘B’ and Group ‘A’ cadres be worked out to enable Board to take a considered view”
16. 71hCPC in its report for Technical Supervisors vide para 40.113 recommended that, “Considering the feedback provided by the Railway Board and upon close analysis of the cadre structure, we are of the view that there is some element of stagnation at the GP 4600 stage. Accordingly , it is suggested that Railway Board should consider enhancing the number of posts in the next higher level” …
17. It is therefore requested that the combined cadre strength of Technical Departments including all posts in Group- A, B and C on Indian Railways may please be restructured as under – so as to be comparable with, if not higher than, the All India Average % age of Group A, B & C of Central Government employees in other Departments:

Thanking You

Yours faithfully,
(Harchandan Singh),
General Secretary, IRTSA

Source: http://www.irtsa.net/pdfdocs/Combined-Cadre-Restructuring-of-Group-A-B-and-C-services-on-the-Railways-Memorandum-to-CRB.pdf