Govt to bring Bonus Act amendment bill" says Prime Minister

"Govt to bring Bonus Act amendment bill" says Prime Minister in the Floor of Parliament

New Delhi, Nov 28, 2015, DHNS:

Government will introduce a bill in the ongoing winter session to amend the Bonus Act, 1965, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Parliament on Friday.

Replying to the two-day special debate to mark the Constitution Day and Dr BR Ambedkar’s 125th birth anniversary, Modi said: “We are going to bring an important bill in this House to amend Bonus Act. The Cabinet has already approved it. This is a very important bill for our workers. We are taking decisions and working for welfare of the labour class.”

Bonus calculations

The amendment bill seeks to enhance extent of coverage for payment of bonus from the existing wage limit of Rs 10,000 to Rs 21,000 per month as well as the calculation limit for payment of bonus from Rs 3,500 to Rs 7,000 per month.

The Union Cabinet had approved the amendment in the Payment of Bonus Act 1965 for the Industrial workers last month, making them eligible for the reward.

Source :  http://www.deccanherald.com

FINMIN SEEKS COMMENTS/VIEWS ON 7TH CPC RECOMMENDATIONS FROM MINISTRIES AND STAFF ASSOCIATIONS, JCM

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF FINANCE

DEPARTMENT OF EXPENDITURE

39-A. North Block. New Delhi-110001

November 21. 2015

D.O.No.1-4/2012-EIII(A)

Dear Sir.

The Report of the 7th Central Pay Commission was submitted to the Governmenton 19.11.2015. A COPY of the Report is placed on the website of Ministry of Finance (www.finmin.nic.in)

2. The process to examine the recommendations of the Commission has to commence immediately. An Empowered Committee of Secretaries chaired by cabinet Secretary is being constituted to consider the recommendations in its entirety and after considering the views of all the Departments as well as the Staff Associations and JCM. An implementation Cell is also being created In this Ministry to process the recommendations based on the views of the Ministries/Departments , Staff Associations and JCM for submitting the matter for consideration of the empowered Committee of Secretaries and thereafter for approval of the Cabinet based on the conclusions arrived at by the Empowered Committee of Secretaries.

3. Thus, the process to consider the, recommendations before it reaches a final shape for approval of the Cabinet requires consultation amongst all the Ministries/Departments who may formulate their opinion based on the views of Staff Associations under their administrative control.

4. Accordingly. it is requested that the following action may be taken on an urgent basis in your Department:

• A Nodal Officer at the level of a Joint Secretary may be nominated immediately. Whom the implementation Cell in this Ministry would be interacting with during the course of processing of the recommendations
• The recommendations of the Commission may be examined in regard to issues concerning your Department and the views thereon may be furnished to this Ministry within three weeks.
• The recommendations of the Commission may be examined in regard Posts/Cadre/service/ organization under your Department and the views thereon may be furnished to this Ministry within three weeks.
• While formulating the views of your Department, the comments, if any of any of the recognized Staff Associations under the administrative control of your Department. may also be obtainedand taken into account.
• In case your Department has any view on any of the recommendations contained in the Report, even though it may not directly pertain to your Department, may also be furnished under a separate category within three weeks.
• In case you have any other suggestion to make in this regard, the same will b appreciated.

I request you, accordingly to kindly ensure that the action on the above points is given utmost priority and the same is completed within the stipulated timeline of three weeks.

Revision of Foreign Postage Rates of Letter Post Items with effect from 01.12.2015

Revision of Foreign Postage Rates of Letter Post Items with effect from 01.12.2015

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7th CPC Recommendations - Confederation National Secretariat Decisions

Date : 27-11-2015

Dear Comrades,

National Secretariat of the Confederation of Central Govt Employees  & Workers held on 27-11-15 at New Delhi after detailed deliberations on the recommendations of the 7^th Central Pay Commission (CPC) has decided as follows :

1.The National Secretariat has come to the unanimous conclusion that many of the recommendations of the 7^th CPC are most retrograde and require to  be modified before implementation by the Government, especially the faulty and depressed  minimum wage arrived at by the 7^th CPC and the fitment formula. Some of the recommendations such as abolition of certain allowances etc., are to be rejected.

2. The National Secretariat is of the firm opinion that a united struggle of entire Central Govt Employees including Railways, Defence and Confederation under the banner of National Joint Council of Action (NJCA) can only compel the Government to modify or reject the retrograde recommendations of the 7^th CPC and hence it is decided to further strengthen the unity.

3. The National Secretariat further resolved that the form of the united struggle of NJCA should be an indefinite strike, within a time frame, as Govt is moving fast to implement the recommendations. Negotiation with the Government should precede declaration of indefinite strike and intensive campaign among the employees and mobilization, to create sanction behind the demands.

4. In case the requisite movement is not coming about for any reason, Confederation National Secretariat will meet and chalk out its own independent action.

5. Regarding the sector-wise issues relating to the employees of each department, the affiliated organizations of the Confederation in those departments shall take initiative for uniting all like-minded Federations/Associations/Unions in their department and shall organize agitational programmes on departmental specific demands.

6. The National Secretariat decided to insist that the charter of demands of the NJCA and Confederation should include the demands of Gramin Dak Sevaks, Casual/Contract labourers, filling up of vacancies and scraping the New Contributory Pension Scheme.

7. All affiliated organizations of Confederation are requested to intimate by e-mail to the Confederation CHQ  (confederationhq@gmail.com or mkrishnan6854@gmail.com) on the required modifications or additions / deletions in the common recommendations (not department-specific) of the 7^th Pay Commission on or before 05-12-2015.

8. Available Secretariat members of the Confederation will meet on 07-12-2015 at New Delhi and finalize the common demands to be included in the charter of demands of NJCA. (NJCA meeting is being held at JCM National Council, Staff-side office on 08-12-2015 to finalize the charter of demands and the further course of action).

9. The National Secretariat congratulated all the Central Govt Employees who made the 27^th November 2015 ‘All India Protest Day’ at the call of NJCA, a grand success all over the country by wearing ‘black badges’ and participating in protest demonstrations.

Other Decisions:

1.Next All India Workshop-cum-Trade Union Camp of Confederation will be held at Dehradun (Uttarakhand) before March 2016.

2. The National Secretariat extended full support and solidarity to the proposed agitational programmes of Passport Employees Association including ‘Indefinite hungerfast’.

=M.Krishnan

Secretary General

INDIA POST PAYMENT BANK

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DECEMBER 1st & 2nd , 2015 STRIKE DEFERRED

DECEMBER 1st & 2nd , 2015 STRIKE DEFERRED

SECRETARY GENERAL AND ALL GENERAL SECRETARIES OF NFPE & AIPEU GDS (NFPE) WILL SIT ON TWO DAYS HUNGER FAST INFRONT OF DAK BHAWAN, NEW DELHI ON 1^st & 2^nd DECEMBER 2015.

ONE DAY MASS HUNGER FAST IN FRONT OF ALL CPMG / PMG & DIVISIONAL OFFICES ON 11^th DECEMBER 2015.

TO EXPRESS OUR ANGER, RESENTMENT AND STRONG PROTEST AGAINST THE REJECTION OF THE LEGITIMATE DEMANDS OF THREE LAKHS GRAMIN DAK SEVAKS BY THE NDA GOVT.

The Federal Secretariat of NFPE held at NFPE Office, New Delhi on 26-11-2015, reviewed the whole situation prevailing among the postal employees in general and the Gramin Dak Sevaks (GDS) in particular after the submission of the 7^th Central Pay Commission Report to the Govt and also after the appointment of a separate committee for GDS by the Govt, headed by a retired Postal Board Member as Chairman.

The Federal Secretariat  further reviewed the proposed two days strike call given by NFPE and AIPEU GDS (NFPE) for realization of the legitimate demands of the Gramin Dak Sevaks, which  include bringing the GDS also under the purview of 7^thCPC treating them as Civil Servants.

The main demand of NFPE and AIPEU GDS (NFPE) in the charter of demands submitted to Govt and Postal Board is “inclusion of GDS under the purview of 7^th CPC”. NFPE organized series of agitational programmes for the GDS demands including dharnas, hunger fast, GDS Parliament March, Parliament March under the banner of Postal JCA (NFPE & FNPO), one day strike on 12^th December 2012 and 48 hours strike on 12^th & 13^th February 2014. Due to our agitational programmes the Postal Board was compelled to submit the proposal for inclusion of GDS under 7^th CPC to Finance Ministry with favourable recommendations. But the Finance Ministry rejected the proposal three times and it is in this background NFPE & AIPEU GDS (NFPE) decided to go for two days strike on December 1^st & 2^nd demanding the Govt to include GDS under the 7^th Pay Commission.

Even though the Govt refused to include the GDS under the 7^th CPC, the 7^th CPC has suo moto examined the main demand of the GDS ie., treating them as Civil Servants and extending them all the benefits of the departmental employees, ofcourse proportionately. It is most unfortunate that the Pay Commission headed by a retired Supreme Court Justice as Chairman, has considered our demand and categorically stated that Gramin Dak Sevaks are holders of Civil Posts but outside the regular civil service and hence can not be treated at par with other civilian employees. After this observation of the Seventh CPC even if the GDS are included in the 7^th CPC they are not going to get a fair deal. This has compelled us to modify the demand placed by us before the Govt in the charter of demands.

NFPE, from the very beginning has opposed the appointment of an Officer Committee for GDS and NFPE & AIPEU GDS (NFPE) has tried their best to prevent appointment of an Officer Committee and compelled the department to make effort for inclusion of GDS under 7^th CPC itself. But now NDA Govt rejected our demand and has unilaterally appointed GDS Committee with a retired Postal Board Member as Chairman and cheated three lakh GDS employees. From our past experiences we know that the retired officers of the Postal Department will never do justice to the Gramin Dak Sevaks.

In view of the fact that 7^th CPC has rejected our demand for Civil Servant status and also the Govt has unilaterally imposed the officer committee on GDS, the Federal Secretariat felt that it is not appropriate to go for an immediate strike with the demands raised by us in the charter of demands, i.e., inclusion of GDS under 7^th CPC. Now GDS can get justice only if NDA Govt take a policy decision to regularize the services of GDS treating them as Civil Servants. Federal Secretariat is fully aware that we can not expect such a decision without the change in the policy of the Government towards GDS. To make a change in the policy decision of the Govt., a bigger mobilization and strike of all postal employees including GDS with the active support and solidarity of other central Govt employees under the banner of Confederation of Central Govt Employees and workers and also the JCM National Council Staffside organizations is required.

The Federal Secretariat decided to explore all possibilities and wider consultations for such a united struggle. The Federal Secretariat felt that to pave way for wider consultations, the independent strike call of NFPE & AIPEU GDS (NFPE) need to be deferred and all likeminded organizations are to be brought under a common platform. Accordingly Federal Secretariat unanimously decided to defer the proposed two days strike scheduled to be held on 1^st & 2^nd December 2015.

The Secretary General and all General Secretaries of NFPE shall sit on two days hunger fast in front of Dak Bhawan, New Delhi on 1^st & 2^nd December 2015 expressing our strong protest to the Govt and also demanding regularization of Gramin Dak Sevaks by granting them civil servant status with all consequential benefits of regular employees.

The Federal Secretariat, while saluting the grass root level workers for their intensive campaign and preparation for the strike, calls upon them to organize one day hunger fast infront of all CPMG / PMG and Divisional Offices throughout the country on 11^th December 2015 to ventilate our anger, resentment and strong protest against the callous and inhuman attitude of the NDA Govt towards three lakh Gramin Dak Sevaks who are the backbone of the Postal Department catering to the needs of the rural population of this country in postal sector.

Federal Executive of NFPE will meet shortly  to review the situation and shall decide future course of action.

=R.N.PARASHAR

SECRETARY GENERAL

Why govt employees hate the NPS - Business Standard

Why govt employees hate the NPS - Business Standard

The 7th central pay commission (CPC) was not supposed to look into the National Pension System (NPS). The terms of reference of the body headed by ex-judge Ashok Mathur limited the mandate in this regard to only the Old Pension System (OPS). Yet, the number of grievances and complaints were so many that the commission decided to deal with it in detail. The grievances ranged from lack of basic elements such as a grievance redressal mechanism to disadvantages in the tax regime and structural issues.

Amusingly, over a decade into its existence and after mopping a corpus of over Rs 24,000 crore as of 2013-14 from a little over 1.3 million people, the NPS still has critics, who wanted it scrapped. “The larger federations and staff associations advocated scrapping the NPS on the ground that it discriminates between two sets of government employees,” the commission noted. Some subscribers pleaded for reverting to the OPS, citing uncertainty regarding the actual value of their future pension in the face of market related risks.

Being a defined contribution scheme, NPS effectively shaves 10 per cent off an employee's take-home salary. While this is a concern for many, they also harboured the opposite worry —that this 10 per cent plus 10 (matching contribution from employer) might not be enough to give them a pension that is about half their last salary. The commission has asked the government to consider if the number can be reviewed.

The bad state of grievance redressal and absence of consultation with stakeholders has generated insecurity in stakeholders. Even senior Group-A officers of the central government, as well as All India Service (AIS) officers, are sceptical about NPS, the commission has noted.

Family pension, for widows/dependents of a deceased employee, is another common grievance. Staff associations have complained that this, after death of an employee, is not ensured in the NPS. More, if an employee dies at an early age, the family would suffer, since annuity from the contribution would be grossly inadequate.

Other such comparisons to instruments such as GPF, PPF and the OPS were widely heard by the CPC. Some were worried about the lack of choice for government employees, the asset allocation and fund managers under the NPS. The commission has asked the pension regulator to provide a range of options and investment mixes, calibrated on a life cycle approach, wherein younger employees are given an exposure to high risk, high return choices.

Another example of shoddy implementation of NPS came up in the case of AIS officers in some states, where contributions by the state governments concerned are yet to be fully made and deployed. The net result is contributions for 2004-2012 have not been fully made or have earned simple interest and did not get any market linked returns. Worse, contributions by some have been returned to them without interest.

This goes against the fundamentals of a defined contribution scheme. A typical employee’s service is 30-35 years. If he loses compounding benefits for a third of that period, what will he/she be left with? A lot of media coverage and official focus has been spent on where the NPS money is invested and its impact on the stock market. In the process, the source and the channels seem to have not received adequate attention. It is time for the government and the regulator to take serious note of the commission’s recommendations and make the NPS a Swachh Pension System. 

Source : http://www.business-standard.com

Gazette Notification issued constituting one man GDS Committee

Central Civil Services ( Conduct ) Rules, 1964 and the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2015

Central Civil Services ( Conduct ) Rules, 1964 and the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2015 - Submission of declaration of assets and liabilities by the Servants for each year - 12.11.2015

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Implementation Cell for processing Seventh Central Pay Commission

Ministry of Finance has set up Implementation Cell for processing and implementing Seventh Central Pay Commission report. Currency of implementation cell will be of one year.

7TH PAY COMMISSION: CONGRESS UNHAPPY WITH RECOMMENDATIONS

Congress demands at least 40% hike in the pay of various categories of government employees

New Delhi: Congress on Saturday expressed resentment over the recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission and demanded at least 40% hike in the pay of various categories of government employees.

Senior party spokesman Ajay Maken told reporters that the Central government employees are “frustrated and disappointed” with the major recommendations of the Commission. “This is unjust and humiliating for the beneficiaries.” “It is unfortunate that the employees, who were given 40 per cent hike in their respective pay by the Fifth and Sixth Pay Commissions, have now been recommended only 14.29 per cent,” he said pointing out several lacunae in the Seventh Pay Commission report.

The Congress leader also faulted the commission for ignoring the consistent demand to reduce gap between the lowest paid and the highest paid employees from 1:12, recommended by 6th CPC to 1:8. Instead of the gap being reduced it has been further increased by the 7th Pay Commission to 1:14, he claimed.

“When we go through the recommendations, it appears that is anti-low paid employees and fails to improve their financial condition. It is tilted towards higher-level officers,” Maken said. He especially took objection to discontinuance of 52 allowances at present available and abolition of all non-interest bearing advances viz festival etc as also Motor Car, Motor Cycle/Scooter/Moped advances. While the Sixth Pay Commission had recommended annual increment between 3 to 4% of Pay plus Grade Pay, the Seventh Pay Commission has restricted it to 3% only, Maken added.

Source - live mint

7TH PAY COMMISSION: TRADE UNIONS UNHAPPY

The Sangh Parivar-affiliated trade union, the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) , has termed the recommendationsof the 7th Pay Commission as disappointing, and said it would soon approach the government to have its concerns addressed.

“It is a disappointing report, and we oppose it strongly. There is just 16 per cent hike in the net pay against the projected 23.55 per cent. Besides, there is a huge gap in the maximum and minimum pays,” BMS general secretary Vrijesh Upadhyay said.

“We do note that for the first time, the report of a pay commission had been submitted on time. We, therefore, have time till January to go into the details of this 900-page report, and suggest some changes to the Finance Ministry. We have asked our government employees’ group to go through the report and come back with suggestions. We will seek time with the Finance Ministry thereafter,” he said.

BADGE FOR “BLACK DAY” – 27.11.2015

MOST DISAPPOINTING AND RETROGRADE RECOMMENDATIONS

7^TH PAY COMMISSION REPORT SUBMITTED TO GOVERNMENT OF INDIA ON 19.11.2015

 

MOST DISAPPOINTING AND RETROGRADE RECOMMENDATIONS

WORST RECOMMENDATIONS EVER MADE BY ANY PREVIOUS PAY COMMISSION

ONLY 14.29% INCREASE IN PAY AFTER 10 YEARS

(EQUAL TO TWO DA INSTALLMENTS)!!!

50 LAKHS CENTRAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES AND DEFENCE PERSONNEL CHEATED & DECEIVED

HOLD PROTEST DEMONSTRATIONS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY

NJCA LEADERS MEETING AT DELHI ON 20.11.2015 AT 11 AM, WILL DECIDE THE FUTURE COURSE OF ACTION

IMPORTANT RECOMMENDATIONS

1.    DATD OF EFFECT – 01.01.2016

JCM Staff Side demand – 01.01.2014 - Rejected

2.    MINIMUM PAY – 18000

JCM (SS) demand – 26000 – Rejected

Dr. Aykroyd Formula of 15^th Indian Labour Conference for calculation of Minimum wage distorted by 7^th CPC to deny the eligible minimum pay.

3.    FITMENT FORMULA – 2.57 TIMES

JCM (SS) demand – multiplication factor 3.7 (26000/7000)

4.    FIXATION ON PROMOTION – NO CHANGE – ONLY ONE INCREMENT IN THE OLD SCALE

JCM (SS) demand – Minimum two increments fixation.

5.    ANNUAL INCREMENT – 3% NO CHANGE

JCM (SS) demand – 5%

6.    MODIFIED ASSURED CAREER PROGRESSION – NO CHANGE – 10, 20, 30

Conditions made more stringent. Bench mark “Very Good” required instead of “good”.  Examination for MACP proposed. Hierarchial promotion restored.

JCM (SS) demand: Five promotion – 8,7,6,5,4 (30 years)

7.    PAY BAND, GRADE PAY SYSTEM ABOLISHED

New Pension Structure called “Matrix based open ended pay structure” recommended. Total span of the scale 40 years.

JCM (SS) demand: Abolish pay band, Grade Pay system and open ended pay scales should be introduced.

8.    MAXIMUM PAY INCREASE – 14.29%

JCM (SS) demand – Minimum 40% increase for all employees.

9.                COMPARISON BETWEEN MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM PAY – 1:11.4 (18000 : 205400)

Demand of the JCM (SS) – 1:8

10.          NUMBER OF PAY SCALES – NOT REDUCED - NO DELAYERING

JCM(SS) demand – pay scales with grade pay 1900, 2000, 4600, 8700 and the pay scale 75500-80000 to be abolished.

11.          ALLOWANCES – NO IMPROVEMENT

Commission recommended abolition of 52 existing allowances such as Assisting Cashier Allowance, Cash Handling Allowance, Treasury Allowance, Handicapped Allowance, Risk Allowance, Savings Bank Allowance, Special compensatory (Hill Area) Allowance, Cycle Allowance, Family Planning Allowance etc.

12.          HRA REDUCED TO 24%, 16% AND 8% FOR X, Y AND Z CITIES

JCM (SS) demand – Existing HRA of 30% (for X class cities with population 50 lakhs and above), 20% (for Y class cities with population of 5 lakhs to 50 lakhs) and 10% (for Z class cities with less than 5 lakhs population) may be increased to 60%, 40% and 20%.

13.          DRIVERS – HIGHER PAY SCALE REJECTED

14.          DA FORMULA – NO CHANGE

15.          HBA – NO CHANGE – CEILING RAISED TO 25 LAKHS

16.          CASUAL LEAVE – NO INCREASE

17.          CHILD Care Leave

        1^st 365 days – Full pay (100%)

        Next 365 days – 80% Pay only.

18.          MATERNITY LEAVE – NO CHANGE - 

19.          LEAVE ENCASHMENT AT THE TIME OF RETIREMENT – NO INCREASE MAXIMUM 300 DAYS ONLY

20.          MEDICAL

Medical Insurance Scheme for serving and retired employees recommended.

21.          TRANSPORT ALLOWANCE - NO HIKE -  ONLY 125% MERGER

Pay Level	Higher Transport Allowance cities (A, AI)	Other places
9 and above	7200 + DA	3600 + DA
3 to 8	3600 + DA	1800 + DA
1 and 2	1350 + DA	900 + DA

22.          LEAVE TRAVEL CONCESSION (LTC) – NO CHANGE

One time LTC to Foreign Country during the service rejected. Splitting of Home Town LTC for employees Posted in North East, Laddakh, Andaman & Nicobars and Lakshdweep allowed.

23. ACCOUNTS STAFF BELONGING TO UNORGANIZED ACCOUNTS – PARITY WITH ORGANISED ACCOUNTS REJECTED.

24.  PERIODICAL REVIEW OF WAGES (NOT TEN YEARS) RECOMMENDED. NO PAY COMMISSION REQUIRED

25.          PERFORMANCE RELATED PAY SHOULD BE INTRODUCED IN GOVERNMENT SERVICES AND ALL BONUS PAYMENT SHOULD BE LINKED TO PRODUCTIVITY.

JCM (SS) demand – No Performance related Pay. Productivity Linked Bonus for all.

26.          COMPULSORY RETIREMENT AND EFFICIENCY BAR REINTRODUCED

Failure to get required bench MarK for promotion within the first 20 years of service will result in stoppage of increment. Such employees who have out lived their ability, their services need not be continued and the continuance of such persons in the service should be discouraged.

27.          PROMOTEE AND DIRECT RECRUITS – ENTRY LEVEL PAY ANOMALY IS REMOVED

JCM (SS) demand – the differential entry pay between new recruits and promoted employees should be done away with.

28.          CADRE REVIEW TO BE COMPLETED IN A TIME BOUND MANNER.

Commission recommended to hasten the process of cadre review and reduced the time taken in inter-ministerial consultations.

29.          NEW PENSION SCHEME – WILL CONTINUE

30.          CEA & HOSTEL SUBSIDY

Rate

CEA per month             2250 - 25% increase when DA crosses 50%

Hostel subsidy              6750 –25% increase when DA crosses  50%

31.          GROUP INSURANCE SCHEME

Level                    Monthly Contribution           Insurance Amount

1 to 5                   1500                                       15 Lakhs

6 to 9                   2500                                       25 lakhs

10 and above      5000                                       50 lakhs

  

PENSIONARY BENEFITS

32.          PENSIONERS – PARITY – LONG STANDING DEMAND OF THE PENSIONERS ACCEPTED

Commission recommends a revised Pension Formulation for Civil employees and Defence Personnel who have retired before 01.01.2016. (expected date of implementation of seventh CPC recommendations). This formulation will bring about complete parity of past pensioners with current retirees.

33.          PENSIONERS – MINIMUM PENSION RS. 9000/-

(50% of the minimum pay recommended by the 7^th CPC)

34.          PENSIONERS – GRATUITY CEILING RAISED TO 20 LAKHS

35.          PENSIONERS – FIXED MEDICAL ALLOWANCE (FMA) – NO CHANGE (RS. 500/-)

36.          CGHS FACILITIES TO ALL POSTAL PENSIONERS RECOMMENDED

33 Postal dispensaries should be merged with CGHS

37.          GRAMIN DAK SEVAKS (GDS) OF THE POSTAL DEPARTMENT DEMAND FOR CIVIL SERVANTS STATUS REJECTED

Recommendation: - The committee carefully considered the demand for treating the Gramin Dak Sevaks as civil servants at par with other regular employees for all purposes, and noted the following:

(a)       GDS are Extra-Departmental Agents recruited by Department of Posts to serve in rural areas.

(b)       As per the Recruitment Rules the minimum educational qualification for recruitment to this post is class X.

(c)        GDS are required to be on duty only for 4 to 5 hours a day under the terms and conditions of their service.

(d)       The GDS are remunerated with Time Related continuity Allowance (TRCA) on the pattern of pay scales for regular Government employees plus DA on pro-rata basis.

(e)       A GDS must have other means of income independent of his remuneration as a GDS to sustain himself and his family.

Government of India has so far held that GDS is outside the Civil Service of the Union and shall not claim to be at par with the Central Government Employees. The Supreme Court Judgment also states that GDS are only holder of Civil posts but not civilian employees. The Commission endorses this view and therefore has no recommendation with regard to GDS.

(M. Krishnan)

Secretary General

Confederation