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Tuesday, July 23, 2013

MEETING WITH HON’BLE MOC SHRI KAPIL SIBAL


MEETING WITH HON’BLE MOC SHRI KAPIL SIBAL

A delegation of All India Trade Union Congress and leaders of the All India Postal Extra Departmental Employees Union, S.S. Mahadevaiah, General Secratary  met the Minister for Communication & Information and Technology, Shri Kapil Sibal, on 23.7.2013 and discussed the following demands:

1.         RAISING BONUS CEILING TO RS.3500/- IN THE CASE OF GRAMIN DAK SEVAKS

            The Minister after ascertaining from Secretary (Post) indicated that the matter is still under consideration of the Finance Ministry who had earlier sought some clarifications from Department of Post. Indications are that it is being considered favourably. Department of Post has again recommended favourably. One more letter from the General Secretary, AITUC was given to Minister – letter published in the issue of magazine.

2.         CONTRIBUTION BY GRAMIN DAK SEVAKS TO PENSION FUND.

The Minister agreed that Govt. is willing to consider the question of allowing  Gramin Dak Sevaks to make matching contribution to Pension Fund so that quantum of pension may increase 

3.         RASHTRIYA SWASTHYA BIMA YOJANA

Applicability of this scheme to Gramin Dak Sevaks is under active consideration and has been referred to govt. for approval. Indications are that about Rs.30,000/- per annum may be invested in the medicare of Gramin Dak Sevaks

AIPEDEU MEMORANDUM 
Tele-Fax: 23697701

ALL INDIA POSTAL EXTRA DEPARTMENTAL EMPLOYEES UNION
(Central Head Quarter)
First Floor, Post Office Building, Padamnagar, Delhi 110007
President:               D.N. Giri
General Secretary     S.S. Mahadevaiah

GDS/CHQ/4/2/2013                         Dated: 23.07.2013

To

Sri Kapil Sibbal,

Hon'ble Minister of Communications & I.T.

Government of India,

Electronic Niketan,  CGO Complex,

 New Delhi-110003

MEMORANDUM

Respected Sir,

Most respectfully we are submitting herewith a memorandum on most urgent and pressing problems of the Gramin Dak Sevak employees for your kind perusal.

The Department of Posts is the only department of the Government of India where there is a special category of employees working called Gramin Dak Sevaks. In fact the Gramin Dak Sevaks are the backbone of the postal department. The postal functions rendered at the nook and corner villages of the country covering 74% of population by the Gramin Dak Sevaks are of high order and quality. Almost every postal service i.e. M.N.R.E.G.S., Postal Life Insurance ( P.L.I/R.P.L.I) old age pension is provided in one or the other way at the Branch offices manned by the Gramin Dak Sevaks. The GDS officials are working more than ten hours a day to serve effectively to the villagers. But they are getting wages only for three to five hours work. Unfortunately, most of the facilities granted by the department to the departmental employees are denied to these low paid poor employees where as the duties, services, functions, risks and responsibilities of the G.D.S employees are similar and equal to those of departmental employees.  Unlike other Bureaucratic committees, the independent committee headed by a retired Justice Charanjit Talwar had studied the service conditions of GDS, traveling length and breadth, and recommended all benefits due at par with Departmental staff but unfortunately the same were not implemented by the then Govt. in 1999.  A few benefits were extended to them, that too with the same tradition of continuing exploitative policies.  In fact the recommendations were based on rational and justified reasoning!  

Central working committee of AIPEDEU was held at an historical and Holy place Prasanthi Nilayam, Puttaparthi, Ananthapur District in Andhra Pradesh, discussed and decided the relay hunger fast programme before Circle/Regional offices from5.8.2013to 8.8.2013 for the settlement of the following justified demands of Gramin Dak Sevaks.  THE CRAVINGS AND THE URGES OF THIS EXPLOITED SECTION OF THE SOCIETY NEED TO BE TAKEN CARE WE STRONGLY FEEL SIR.

CHARTER OF DEMANDS:

The only one demand of the Gramin Dak Sevak is that they should be treated at par with departmental staff for which all measures may be taken to regularize the services rendered by the 2.7 lakh postal GDS employees. All the benefits of departmental staff should be rationally extended to GDS employees without any further delay as they are the salt of the rural service under postal system.  They are also doing commendable job in urban areas also.  Their pay and service conditions deserve consideration in the next pay commission that is demanded by the central Govt. employees by suitably changing the nomenclature as GRAMIN DAK KARMACHARI/RURAL POSTAL EMPLOYEE.

 WE REQUEST THE MINISTER TO LOOK INTO THE FOLLOWING FOR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION:

1.   Harsh Punishment of removal and dismissal – a death sentence to the GDS:  There are no graded punishments like recovery of loss from the pay of GDS, postponement of increment, reduction in pay etc.  Hence removal and dismissal are commonly used to impose penalty for even routine lapses.  The local level officers are suspending them for even petty matters, imposing heavy punishments of termination from employment – most unfortunately using it as a tool to EXPLOIT THE GDS to the maximum.

 

2.   REVISED RECRUITMENT RULES FOR PROMOTION TO THE POSTMEN AND M.T.S CATEGORY:  The introduction of revised syllabus to promote GDS to postmen and MTS cadre is nothing but to deny the promotional opportunity to the senior GDS employees.  Old pattern was more or less satisfactory as both MERIT AND SENIORITY were taken as the criteria for promotion.  Now in the present system the Question papers are very tough and only those preparing for competitive exams can answer them.  This change is with an inner agenda to snatch the benefits of this section which is opposed by all.  Kindly intervene and cause to restore old syllabus and pattern of exam with modification if any in consultation with recognized unions.  For, the only hope of getting departmental status of a GDS is shattered by the change.  Please note that hitherto all out efforts are to take them to the departmental status and not to deviate from the IDEAL.

 

3.   LIMITED TRANSFER POLICY – AGAIN TO DENY A WELFARE MEASURE:  Now the power to transfer of a GDS is vested with the Head of the postal circle/state.  This is causing more problems to the administration as well as the GDS affected.  The power should be delegated to the divisional heads in case of transfer within divisions and like wise Regional head and circle head according to their purview as done in case of departmental employees.  The low paid GDS should not undergo reduction in their pay(TRCA) as their hard earned increments are snatched in many cases on transfer.  The transfer policy should be to help the system/employee we strongly feel and urge kind intervention.

 

4.   DENIAL OF COMPASSIONATE APPOINTMENT – ANOTHER ATTACK:  Hitherto all most all wards of GDS were assured compassionate appointment as the GDS is not assured of pension or family pension.  Compassionate appointment is to support the family of those who die in harness. The condition of a low paid and the exploited GDS family would be more critical when compared to a departmental employee.  A strange and unscientific condition of earning minimum of 51 points to decide indigent circumstances of the family is anti GDS and anti worker a decision!  This should be removed and all wards of GDS should get compassionate appointment without any condition. 

 

5.   BONUS CEILING SHOULD BE Rs.3500/- FOR GDS ALSO:  It is rather discriminatory if the benefit already extended is withdrawn.  In fact his low paid section should get more percentage of Bonus when compared to his departmental brother! This deferred wage should be double the pay as the GDS employees have been denied of their due all along.  Since the honourable MOC has taken pains to look into the matter and recommend Rs.3500/- ceiling for GDS the issue may be settled early in favour of GDS, pending upward revision of Bonus ceiling for the ensuring year.  The matter is pending for the last one year and a committee constituted to look into the matter also recommended justification to enhance ceiling to GDS.  Kindly cause to expedite the matter.

 

 

6.   CAUSE TO STOP ALL KINDS OF EXPLOITATION BY EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION:  Since the exploitation of this section is seen from the British regime we request the hon’ble MOC to put an end to this system.  To cite an example in rural parts GDS staff are forced to undertake combination of various duties without adequate compensation.  In urban and metro city like Bangalore the GDS services are utilized for delivery of speed post articles under exploitative terms and conditions.  The GDS use their own two wheelers for delivery work and fuel compensation of Rs.35/- per day is given.  Vehicle maintenance, depreciation in its value etc., are not thought of which is still inhuman.  Despite instructions to minimize GDS recruitment in urban areas the system is continued to exploit the humble/poor.  Court cases are on increase and therefore we request the hon’ble MOC to regularize the services of all GDS working in urban areas without any further delay.  Our demand is equal pay for equal work performed.  So is the case of GDS Mail Packers who are working from opening of the office till its close.  But their work is assessed most unscientifically to deny their due.  They should be treated as regular MTS and full pay and other benefits should be extended them. 

The above are mere illustrations to give a glimpse of exploitation of the GDS in postal department.  It is high time that the Hon’ble and the learned MOC would look into the matter seriously to mitigate the hardship of this community and cause to extend at least minimum that is demanded/highlighted in this memorandum and for such objective and justified look towards the hard working GDS, real back bone of the postal department, we shall be ever grateful to the honour minister.

With high regards

                                                                                       Yours faithfully,

 

 

                                                                                      (S.S. Mahadevaiah)

                                                                                       General Secretary.
 
COM. GURUDAS DAS GUPTA, HON'BLE MP, LETTER TO HON'BLE MOC,  ON GDS ISSUES.