Long pending Pay and Cadre issues i.r.o. Accountants, DEOs, Sr. Accountant, AAOs etc. -Items with background notes by COC of CAEOA

Long pending Pay and Cadre issues i.r.o. Accountants, DEOs, Sr. Accountant, AAOs etc. -Items with background notes by COC of CAEOA

CO-ORDINATION COMMITTEE (COC)

OF

CIVIL ACCOUNTS EMPLOYEES AND OFFICERS ASSOCIATIONS

Represented By

National Federation of Civil Accounts Associations (NFCAA)

[All India Civil Accounts Employees Association]

[All India Civil Accounts Employees Association Category II]

No.COC/CA/2019/Corr-14 

 Dated: 14.08.2019

To,

Shri G.P. Gupta,

Controller General of Accounts,

Ministry of Finance,

Department of Expenditure,

4th Floor, GPOA, Block-E, INA,

New Delhi – 110023

Sir,

In pursuance of our letter dated 1st August 2019 and your discussion with our Delhi based representatives on 8th August 2019 in which you had kindly agreed to meet our representatives in this week, we are enclosing herewith the items with background notes on which we sought your intervention and settlement.

Further, we assure you that only limited number of vital National Executive Members from each Association shall attend the proposed meeting. 

Thanking you,

Enclo: as above

Yours Sincerely,

Item No.1

It has been learnt that the proposal for 1st Cadre Review of Group & C officers and employees has been forwarded to the Secretary, Department of Expenditure by the CGA office.

The error in recommendations in respect of the following cadres is required to be corrected:-

ACCOUNTANT

1. There is no distinctive borderline in duties of Accountant and Senior Accountants.

2. 80% posts of Accountant were decided for up-gradation as Senior Accountant after 3 years of service w.e.f. 01.04.1987 by specifying the nature of works to be performed by Accountant and Senior Accountants separately. Justification of this is totally obsolete in the present scenario as there is no distinction of work and there cannot be two set of employees with two sets of pay scales for same work.

3. The 6 CPC in para 3.1.14 had recommended that the pre-revised Pay Scale of 4500-7000 will be merged with pre-revised Pay Scale of 6500-10500 and placed in Pay Band 2 with Grade Pay of 4200.

Govt. has accepted the recommendation and the Departments which have proposed for the implementation of the pay scale for their employees has been accepted by the Govt. The Accountant were in pre-revised Pay Scale of 4500-7000 have not been assigned the PB-2 Grade Pay of 4200 because of the fact that the office of the CGA never took up the issue with the government.

4. Accountants are recruited through CGLE conducted by Staff Selection Commission which is common examination for recruitment of employees for the pay level 7, 6, 5 and 4 of pay matrix and the qualified candidates are allocated to different Departments according to their merit from level 7 to level 4. Unfortunately, the candidates placed in the 3rd category of the merit list are coming to Civil Accounts Organization as Accountants at pay level 5.

5. We had proposed that the arrangement of Accountant and Senior Accountant may be dispensed with and merged together as Senior Accountants and placed in the pay level 7 of pay matrix (like JAO & AAO) so that there is justice with the cadre and Department could have better quality employees from the recruitment source.

6. However, as proposed by the “Internal Cadre Review Committee” of the office of CGA, we have agreed for continuation of the Accountant and Sr. Accountant keeping in view the future prospects of lower grade officials who shall be benefited out of this.

7.The proposal of the Internal Cadre Review Committee to place Accountant in level 5 (PB 1 with GP 2800 of pre revised pay scale) and Sr. Accountant in level 7(PB 2 with GP 4600 of pre-revised pay scale) is thus totally faulty on the following grounds:

• Despite performing same work the Accountants would be getting two stage lower pay then the Senior Accountants which is totally unscientific, illogical and inconsistent. There is no such example of such type in the salary structure of the of the departments of the Government of India.
• Accountants have been denied the duty pay which is due to them after the 6CPC. Hence offering of due salary to this grade after 15(fifteen) years to this grade of employees is most justified.
• The Department would not be able to have quality Accountant from recruitment source. 
• Marginal increase in financial liability on the Government for the Cadre Review of a set of nearly 10,000(ten thousand) Group B & C officers and employees after 42 /43 years is not the additional financial liability on the Government at all.

Therefore, the Accountants should be in the level 6 of the pay matrix which is most scientific and justified.

DATA ENTRY OPERATORS

1. The position taken by the Internal cadre review committee is not based on facts. 10 plus 2 and graduates were recruited as DEO(earlier name KPO)were recruited. Moreover, the onus of mode of recruitment does not fall on the recruitee.

2. DEOs were recruited to share the work of Accountant/ Senior Accountant and not LDCs.

3. It is on record that the DEO Grade – A was never in the pay scale of LDC . The initial pay scale to the grade was 1150 -1500 while the pay scale of LDC was 950-1350

4. In 2001 one of the DEOs was converted as Accountant.

5. After V CPC, DEOs had been granted pay scale of UDC/ Accountant i.e.4000-6000.

6. CGA had recommended for merger of cadre of DEO the cadre of Accountant/ Senior Accountant to VI CPC.

7. From 2015 onwards all DEOs of CBIC setup have been engaged to work as Accountants and they are performing the duties of Accountants and Senior Accountants .

8. As per Recruitment Rules, the DEO grade A are on par with UDCs.

9. Merger of DEOs with the cadre of Accountant/Senior Accountant shall not put any additional financial burden on the Government due to the fact that almost all the employees of this category have received 3rd MACPs but conferring them the designation of Accountant/Senior Accountant provide them a social status which is more than deserving for them.

10. The proposal of the Internal Cadre Review Committee to downgrade the DEO cadre ignoring their nature of duties of Accountant/ Sr. Accountants and merging the cadre with the proposed Accounts Assistants is thus totally faulty.

Therefore, it is more than justified that the DEO Cadres should be merged with Accountant/Sr. Accountant and not with the Cadre of LDC even after up-gradation of LDC Cadre as Accounts Assistant.

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Item No.2

This item itself is self-explanatory. However, we would like to state the following:

1. The new pattern of examination has been kept pending for last two years due to which hundreds of prospective candidates are not able to appear the examination and they have lost one year of their career .

3. While the candidates who have cleared eight papers of the old pattern examination till the supplementary examination of 2018 have been promoted as AAO and even AO/Sr. AO, there is no justification that the candidates cleared less than eight papers of same pattern and same examinations shall be denied the credit of clearing those papers and in order to get their promotion as AAO, they shall have to appear and clear all papers afresh in the new pattern of examination to be introduced.

4. While MTS are also group C and other Accounting Departments of Government of India are allowing graduate MTS to appear the AAO(C) Examination, there is no justification that a graduate MTS Of Civil Accounts Organization can not appear the examination even after completion of 3 (three) years’ service that too in a situation where a LDC of other Department who comes on deputation basis becomes eligible to appear the examination even after one year of absorption in the Organization.

All the three aspects being the part of natural justice need to be implemented.

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Item No.3

All India Civil Accounts Employees Association Category -II represents AAOs and it has started functioning as an independent Association after bifurcation of composite All India Civil Accounts Association by CGA in 2002.

Verification of membership of AICAEA Cat-II seems to be longest in the history of Civil Accounts. However, CGA office vide OM dated. 25th April 2017 ordered latest phase of membership verification of AICAEA Cat-II. From this verification of membership, CGA office had generated three reports with membership of 251, 227 and 186 in July, 2017, January 2018 and February 2018 respectively.

For the purpose of recognition as a second major Association in the category in terms of the CCS (RSA) Rules, 1993, the magic number of 207 memberships is required for the All India Civil Accounts Employees Association Category II and it constitutes 15% of the total number employees on roll. 

The association concerned has submitted details like name, place of posting, DDO /PAO, UTR No generated through PFMS, etc. of 247 members which is more than 21% even though such details are unwarranted as per CCS (RSA) Rules 1993. 

Since AICAEA Cat-II has membership of more than 21% as on July 2017, the Association may kindly be granted recognition without any more delay.

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Item No.4

The cadre of Senior Audit Officers and Senior Accounts Officers was created by the Govt. of India in 1992 by upgrading 80% of the posts of Audit Officers and Accounts Officers (in the pay scale of Rs. 2375-3500 respectively) to a scale of pay meant for Group A officers of the Govt. of India, i.e. Rs. 2200-4000. Although this cadre was placed on par with Group A in terms of the pay scale, their classification remained as Group B officers. Subsequently, on 29.8.2008, the Govt. of India, notified the Central Civil Services (Revised Pay) Rules, 2008 (“2008 Rules”). Under these rules, Senior Audit and Accounts officers were placed in the PB (i.e. Pay Band) 3 band of the pay scale (8000 – 13500) with a monthly grade pay of Rs 5400/- (similar to Group A officers of the various departments of the Govt. of India) under Section XX entitled “Organized Account Cadres” of the 2008 Rules.

On 9.4.2009, crucially, the Deptt. of Personnel and Training in suppression of its earlier order of 1998, in S.O. 946(E), noted that a central civil post holder carrying grade pay of Rs. 7600/-, Rs. 6600/- and Rs. 5400/- in the scale of pay of Rs. 15600-39-100 in PB-3 was to be classified as a Group A officer. Finally, on 17.4.2009, the DOPT – acting upon the Central Civil Service (Revised Pay) Rules, 2008 and following up on S.O. 946 – through OM No. 11012/7/2008-Estt. (A), noted as follows:

“As per clause (4) of the central civil services (Revised Pay).Rules, 2008 … the pay band and qrade pay or the pay scales, as applicable, of every post/grade specified in column 2 of the First Schedule thereto shall be as specified against it in columns 5 and 6 thereof. Consequent upon the notification of the said rules, it has become necessary to prescribe revised norms for categorization of posts into the above mentioned four categories based on the pay band and grade pay or the pay scales as applicable, as approved by the Government. Accordingly, an Order classifying the various Central Civil Services posts into Group “A”, “B”, “C”, “D”, based on the revised norms of pay has been notified in the Gazette of India Extraordinary vide s.o. 946 (E) dated 09.04.2000.” The OM also noted, in the 4th paragraph, that “[i]n some Ministries/Departments, posts may exist which are not classified as per the norms laid down by this Department. lf, for any specific reason, a Ministry/Department proposes to classify the posts differently it would be necessary for that Department to send a specific proposal to Department of Personnel and Training giving full justification in support of the proposal within three months of this O.M. so that the exceptions to the norms of classification laid down in S.O. 946 (E) dated 09- 04 – 2009 can be notified.”

Subsequently, after 7 CPC the Govt. issued several orders indicating that the officers placed in Level -10 and above are classified as Gr. A. The Sr. Accounts Officers/Sr. Audit Officers working in different AGs and other establishments of IA&AD have already been conferred Gr. A status with attended benefits retrospectively. On the other hand the Sr. Accounts Officers in the Civil Accounts Organization are still deprived of the same.

It is pertinent to mention that Sr. Accounts Officers of CCAS cadre work as Heads of Offices in most of the field offices scattered throughout the country in a highly IT based working environment. They require dealing with number of DDOs. Most of such DDOs are Gr. A, and in Level-11 (GP Rs.6600/-) and above. In formations like CGHS officers of the rank of SAG also work as DDOs. In such a situation depriving Sr. Accounts Officers of the status of Gr. A is highly demoralizing.

Accordingly, for furthering the cause of the august organization the Controller General of Accounts, and in the interest of proper management of the Finance and Accounts of the Govt. of India, Gr. A status Sr. Accounts Officers needs to be conferred i retrospectively (wef – 1.1.2006), with attended benefits, in no time.

Item No.5

1. The office of the Controller General of Accounts vide para 2 of the O.M. No:-A-60015/1/2008/MF.CGA (A)/NGE/Pay Com/29 dated 2nd June 2009 had conveyed its decision that the cadre of Junior Accounts Officer and Assistant Accounts Officer would be re-designated as Assistant Accounts Officer and classified as Group “B” Gazetted and till such time, the new Recruitment Rules are framed, the promotions to the new cadre of AAO would be made in terms of existing RRs of JAO cadre.

2. As per (i) & (ii) of column 12 of the Central Civil Accounts Service (Junior Accounts Officer and Assistant Accounts Officer) Recruitment Rules, 2000 placed in the website of the Controller General of Accounts, Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure-

(i) 90% posts in the grade of Junior Accounts Officer shall be filled by promotion on seniority- cum-fitness from a common seniority of persons who have passed Junior Accounts Officers (Civil) Examination,

and

(ii) 10% of posts in the grade of Junior Accounts Officer shall be filled up by promoting senior Accounts who have rendered not less than 10 years’ service in the grade on selection-cum-seniority and who have crossed the age of 53 years as on 1st January of the year.

3. In persuasion of the decisions conveyed through the O.M. number referred in point 1 above, your office had granted promotions to the grade of Assistant Accounts Officer to the eligible persons till November 2014 in application of the provisions laid down in (1) & (2) of the column 12 of Recruitment Rules, 2000 stated in the point No. 2.

4. From December 2014 onwards, your office has stopped granting promotions to the eligible persons in application of the provisions (2) of column 12 of Recruitment Rules, 2000.

5. Association was however, given to understand by your office vide letter dated 26.10.2015 that, in order to recognize the services being rendered by the Senior Accountants and to ensure continuation of their career advancements, a separate method for promotion of Senior Accountants shall be adopted by your office through issuing of Notifications of Recruitment Rules for Supervisor (Accounts) and AAOs simultaneously. But it is nearly 4(four) years now, your office has not even circulated the draft Recruitment Rules for Supervisor (Accounts).

Due to above narrated situations, hundreds of eligible Senior Accountants have not got the due benefit of promotions as Assistant Accounts Officers from December 2014 onwards and many of the Senior Accountants have even retired from service while nearly 50% (fifty percent) posts of Assistant Accounts Officers in the Civil Accounts Organization are lying vacant for last four years and the senior most Senior Accountants working in the field formations are shouldering the additional work loads of vacant posts of Assistant Accounts Officers.

Under the above circumstances, we would like to request you the following-

1. Since neither the Central Civil Accounts Service (Junior Accounts Officers and Asstt. Accounts Officers) Recruitment Rules, 2000 has been amended nor the Recruitment Rules for Supervisor (Accounts) has been framed for last four years and the Senior Accountants eligible for promotions as Assistant Accounts Officers under 10% promotion quota as par the provisions of the Recruitment Rules, 2000 were not granted promotion as Assistant Accounts Officers despite existence of vacancies under the specified promotion quota, all of them may kindly be granted promotion as Assistant Accounts Officers immediately.

2. The process of granting promotion to Senior Accountants as Assistant Accounts Officers under the 10% promotion quota may be continued till the Recruitment Rules for Supervisor (Accounts) is framed and implemented so that the promotions of the Senior Accountants are not stalled abruptly.

This Association shall be extremely thankful to you, if you kindly appreciate the sufferings of the Senior Accountants in the shape of both financial loss as well as social degradation, and provide them justice by taking early favorable actions on the requests made through this letter.

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Item No.6

The sphere of working of the Civil Accounts employees and officers at large is different in comparison to the other analogous services. Since inception Civil Accounts must be conversant with variety of patterns, scopes and especially latest technologies. AAOs of this Department are not only have to well conversant with the new technology but also must take responsibility for giving training to the other Civil Accounts employees as well as to the entire staff of their DDOs also. After implementation of PFMS, the dream project of the Government for Digital India, monitored by the Prime Minister Office the responsibility of AAOs have been considerably increased as they bear the pivotal role for successfully running of the system all over our vast country.

As our DDOs are spread over in every corner of this country it is the duty and responsibility of specially of the AAOs to make every person of the DDOs well conversant with the new system so that total government exchequer may run through the PFMS. New additions in PFMS have been developed such as EIS, EAT, NTRP modules etc. and as it is a continuous process.

The role of AAOs in future will also be increased significantly. There are other software portals such as BHAVIISHYA, GEM etc. where AAOs are having an important role in processing cases.

Besides, there are Ministry/Department wise separate unique sphere of duty in which AAOs are to be accustomed at once as they are to be posted in any Ministry/Department in any station as per the Transfer Policy. They are also posted isolate in Divisions of M/o Urban Development, Water Resources, Information and Broadcasting as Financial Advisors to the Divisional Heads. They are even acting as Head of Office in some Pay & Accounts Office in M/o Women and Child Development.

Above justifications distinctively suggest that the working atmosphere and responsibility of AAOs are different and esteemed enough in comparison to other analogous services. Success of the concept of Digital India of the modern Government depends a lot on the activities of Civil Accounts and role of AAOs are vital in this regard. The demand for granting GP 5400 w.e.f. 01/01/2006 has background in recommendations of 6th CPC. So it is proposed to accord Pay Level 9 to the Assistant Accounts Officer and treat the appointment as afresh.

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Item No.7

After the implementation of PFMS few incidences have surfaced wherein fraudulent means employed by few miscreants has led to victimisation of Civil Accounts employees and officers.

PFMS is a good initiative but its open source technology at initial stages has led to few problems.

PFMS platform should be security proof technologically and operationally. Few suggestions for improvement are as follows: –

1) Instructions on Infrastructure and computer friendly environment should be strictly followed not only at PAO offices but also at other offices linked with PFMS

2) Requirement of proper antivirus to all systems linked to PFMS

3) One-point procurement and safety of hardware insured

4) Operational part of creating login of PD/DH/AAO be OTP/ biometric based and necessary instructions be given to all for true and genuine information of subscriber to the system

5) System should report more details like location of sanction id users so it will prevent misuse and mis operation

6) Decentralised helpdesk system be operated

7) Proper training of all modules to all staff and officers including those in Department functioning on the platform of PFMS be imparted.

8) Compendium of orders on electronic processing of payment be issued for ready reference of all stakeholders.

Maintenance activity be scheduled and necessary information be circulated well in advance.

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Source: http://nfcaahqnd.blogspot.com/2019/08/co-ordination-committee-coc-of-civil_15.html