Postmasters Cadre Sounds much as an empty vessel
- Many questions are yet to be answered –
Bruhaspati Samal
Secretary,AIPEU,Group-C
Bhubaneswar Division
e Mail: bsamalbbsr@gmail.com
Although it has been too late, lastly, the India Post introduced the Postmasters Cadre in Postal Wing with due Gazette Notification on 9th September, 2010 and framed “Department of Posts, Senior Postmaster ( Group-B Gazetted ), Postmaster ( Grade – III and II Group - B non-Gazetted ) and Postmaster ( Grade – I Group – C non-Gazetted ) Recruitment Rules, 2010” vide Postal Directorate letter No.4-17/2008-SPB-II, dated 22.11.2010. In order to improve / upgrade the functioning of the Post Offices, meet the present day requirement of specialization in postal office management in the wake of introduction of technology, challenges from market and to increase the productivity, the Department of Posts, although too late, at last felt the absolute essentiality to ensure that the key post offices shall be headed by professional managers and they are non but the professionally qualified, trained and meritorious officials head the key Post Offices and historically in the most popular term, “Postmaster”. Certainly one can’t think of the future progress and development of the Post Offices without the progress of its heads viz. the Postmasters. They are the nerves of the whole postal system. They transmit the impulses of India Post to the customers and remain responsible for physical sensitiveness and interaction in between the both. Such nerves, if disordered anywhere in any manner shall definitely cause sickness and depression and in a vast organization like India Post which is the world’s largest postal system, these nerves were to be treated properly much earlier. Now, it needs to be analyzed in details to evaluate the ways this order will be helpful to the general line Group-C postal employees in general and the proposed non-gazetted Group-B employees in particular.
Carving out 2097 LSG , 511 HSG-II, 495 HSG-I from the existing General Line Cadre Posts in Postal Wing and 116 PS Group-B posts and re-designating as Postmaster Gr – I, Postmaster Gr.- II , Postmaster Gr. - III and Senior Postmaster , the Department created and ordered for implementation of Postmasters Cadre with effect from 09.11.2010. There is no change in the Pay Band and Grade Pay. The Postmaster Grade – I will continue to draw the Grade Pay of Rs.2800/- in Pay Band – 1 ( 5200 – 20200 ) fixed for LSG, Postmaster Grade – II and Grade – III will continue to draw Grade Pay of Rs.4200/- and Rs.4600/- fixed for HSG-II and HSG-I respectively in Pay Band – 2 (9300 – 34800 ) and the Sr. Postmaster with Grade Pay Rs.4800/- in Pay Band – 2 (9300 – 34800 ).
As per the notification, the initial constitution of the various Grades of Postmasters shall be done by inviting options/applications from the existing incumbents of LSG, HSG-II, HSG-I in Post offices and PS Group, 'B'. and in subsequent years all the vacancies in Postmaster Gr.- I shall be filled up through a Limited Departmental Competitive Examination, from amongst PAs with 5 years regular service in the grade. All the vacancies in Postmaster Gr. II and Postmaster Gr. III posts shall be filled up by promotion from amongst Postmaster Gr. I with 6 years regular service in the grade (including regular service in LSG, if any) and from amongst Postmaster Gr. II with 5 years regular service the grade (including regular service in HSG II, If any) respectively. 25% of vacancies in the grade of Sr. Postmaster will be filled up by promotion of Postmaster Gr. III with 2 years of regular service in the grade (including regular service in HSG, I if any) and 75% by Inspector of Posts (IPOs) with 6 years of regular service in the grade on the basis of Limited Departmental Competitive Examination (LDCE). The officials in PS Gr 'B' and Senior Postmaster (Gazetted) would be eligible for induction in IPOs, Gr 'A' on the basis of a consolidated eligibility list.
The Department vide its order No. 13-2/2010-PE.I,dated 25.11.2010 has further directed the Circle Heads to identify the Head Post Offices / Sub Post Offices of respective circles to the extent of number indicated separately for each Circle where the Postmasters of respective grades in each of the identified offices are to be deployed. During identification, as has been instructed, preference may be given to Head Post offices, Mukhya Dak Ghars, Offices identified for Core Banking Solution, major delivery offices and offices located in prime locations serving as face of India Post. The decision once taken by the Chief Postmasters General would be final and no change in future would be permissible without consulting the Directorate.
Let’s analyze the whole issue and its impact taking Odisha Circle as an example.
1. In Odisha Circle, 60 LSG ( out of 145 ) , 18 HSG-II ( out of 65 ) and 18 HSG-I ( out of 65 ) posts have been carved out and designated as Postmaster Grade-I, Grade-II and Grade - III respectively. Thus, it is evident that 85 LSG, 47 HSG-II and 47 HSG-I posts will continue as usual with equal Grade Pay. The existing LSG/HSG-II/HSG-I cadre has now divided into two separate categories – one, the cadre-based postmaster and the other cadre-less postmaster.
2. In the base cadre i.e. Postmaster Grade – I, there will be 60 people who will be promoted to 18 limited posts in Postmaster Grade – II after six years subject to vacancy created through promotion of the latter to Postmaster Grade – III after 5 years regular service in Grade – II cadre. Since almost all the HSG-II posts are presently manned by the Fast Track officials who are left with more than 15 years of service in average on one hand and many of them may not be interested to move from Koraput in the south to Keonjhar in the north just with a difference of Rs.200/- in the Grade Pay and in many cases loosing 10% HRA on the other, response to the proposed option for initial constitution of the cadre may not be encouraging.
3. Presently, 30 Head Post Offices ( Out of 35 since 5 H Os including 2 GPOs are manned by IPO Line / P S Group-B officers ) in Odisha Circle are manned by HSG-I Postmasters excluding other HSG-I Post Offices. Thus all the Head Postmasters will not be identified under the so called Postmasters Cadre since the identification will be preferential at the discretion of the Circle Head. In Odisha Circle, not a single official has yet been posted in HSG-I cadre on regular basis and the officials who have been regularized in HSG-II have just completed one year. As instructed, initial constitution of the various Grades of Postmasters shall be done by inviting options/applications from the existing incumbents of LSG, HSG-II, HSG-I in Post Offices and PS Group, 'B'. Since there is no mention whether the initial constitution will be made from the regular or officiating incumbents of LSG/HSG-II/HSG-I, now question arises during the initial constitution,
i. Whether the officiating HSG-I officials will be allowed to be appointed as Grade – III Postmasters or as Grade – II Postmasters since already regularized in HSG-II cadre?
ii. If the officiating HSG-I officials are not allowed to be appointed as Grade – III Postmasters, then how the initial cadre constitution will be completed for the Grade – III Postmasters since not a single official has yet been posted in HSG-I cadre on regular basis in Odisha Circle ?
iii. If the officiating HSG-II officials will be allowed to be appointed as Grade – II Postmasters or as Grade – I Postmasters since already regularized in LSG cadre?
iv. What will be the status of 12 HSG-I Postmasters who will work in H Os after identifying 18 Grade – III Postmasters under Postmasters Cadre ? Presently all the HSG-I Postmasters of the HOs enjoy the same administrative and financial powers as DDO. Will there be any difference in between the cadre-based ( Postmaster Grade – III ) and cadre-less ( HSG-I ) Postmasters of the Head Post Offices?
v. Will the Postmaster Grade - III of any MDG / S O, identified if any enjoy the same administrative and financial powers with that of the Grade – III Postmaster of any identified H O since presently there is a difference in between the HSG – I Postmasters of the H O and HSG-I Postmaster of the MDG/SO ?
4. As has been instructed, 25% of vacancies in the grade of Sr. Postmaster will be filled up by promotion of Postmaster Gr. III with 2 years of regular service in the grade. This will come after 2 years subject to condition that the initial constitution to Postmaster Grade – III is completed instantly. But what about the initial constitution for these 25% vacancy ? Whether 25% posts of PS Gr .’B’ (Gazetted) shall be filled up from among the existing HSG-I officials at the initial stage itself as argued by the Staff Side in an informal meeting with DDG (Estt.) and other officers on the issue of Cadre Restructuring held at the Directorate on 23.11.2010?
5. Only 116 posts in P S Group-B has been identified under the Postmasters Cadre. Practically speaking 25 % vacancy that will be created out of these 116 posts is too meagre. Thus, the number of General Line officials in Postmaster Grade – III to be promoted to P S Group-B will be highly negligible on all India basis. It is just like to tell that tale to the Jews.
6. After creation of the Postmasters Cadre all the Post Offices should be manned by the Postmasters from General Line in true sense. If not misunderstood, there should be no logic now to allow the IPO line officials to work as Postmasters since they belong to the administrative line.
7. The officials in PS Gr 'B' and Senior Postmaster (Gazetted) would be eligible for induction in IPOs, Gr 'A' on the basis of a consolidated eligibility list. Thus, since the so called promotion of Postmaster Grade – III to PS Group-B is too remote, the creation of such a cadre showing a long path from PA to Group-A is just to build castles in the air for a P A to be promoted to Group-A through this Postmasters Cadre.
8. Further, the Grade-I, Grade-II and Grade-III Postmasters getting equivalent Pay Band and Grade Pay of LSG, HSG-II and HSG-I respectively will shoulder additional responsibilities for no additional financial benefit.
9. As we have already experienced, the TBOP/BCR officials have been deprived of getting their higher pay while officiating in HSG-II and HSG-I post. The same problem may be repeated again consequent upon implementation of Postmasters Cadre. The cadre-less Postmasters in LSG, HSG-II and HSG-I may not get higher pay if ordered to work against the short term vacancies of Postmaster Grade –II, Grade – III and PS Group-B respectively. Possibility of not allowing Postmasters in LSG, HSG-II and HSG-I to officiate against the short term vacancies of Postmaster Grade –II, Grade – III and PS Group-B respectively cannot be ignored also.
Like this, there are many apprehensions and many questions to be answered. In the analogy of all that glitters is not gold, the creation of this Postmasters Cadre is just to please the eye and plague the heart. Under the circumstances, it is high time for the Staff Side to see without beating about the bush;
i. that all the LSG, HSG-II and HSG-I posts should be filled in on regular basis before the date of issue of circular calling for the options/applications for appointment as Postmaster Grade I, II and III. i.e.14.12.2010. Or else, the time-line fixed for various activities in this regard should be extended.
ii. that 25% posts of PS Gr .’B’ (Gazetted) shall be filled up from among the existing HSG-I officials even who are working in officiating capacity at the initial stage.
iii. that all the LSG, HSG-II and HSG-I posts should be covered under the Postmaster Cadre. If not agreed to by the Official Side, the Grade pay of the Postmasters Grade I, II and III must be higher than that of the LSG, HSG-II and HSG-I.
iv. that Postmaster Grade – I to be non-Gazetted Group-B and Postmaster Grade – II and Grade – III to be declared as Gazetted Group-B in addition to demand for upgrading 11395 single handed and 6719 double handed Post Offices as LSG and 6621 present LSG Post to HSG-II post and amalgamation 1622 HSG-II posts and HSG-I posts.
v. 50% of the total posts in P S Group-B should be covered under Postmaster cadre and open for promotion from the Grade – III Postmasters since all the vacancies in Postmaster Grade - I is now going to be filled up through a Departmental Competitive Examination from amongst PAs with 5 years regular service in the grade. When a P A appearing the IPO examination after 5 years of regular service is promoted to P S Group-B, a P A appearing the examination for Grade – I Postmaster should have the equal right and equal share.
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