LDC-UDC ISSUE-LETTER TO NAC MEMBERS

ALL INDIA ASSOCIATION OF ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF (NG)

MINISTRY OF STATISTICS & PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION

GOVERNMENT ON INDIA

(Web site: www.aiamshq.blogspot.in)

NSSO (FOD), Hall No. 201 & 205, Vijay Stumbh,

Zone I, Maharana Pratap Nagar,

 No. 4/GS/2013                                                                                  Bhopal, 06/09/2013

To

1. Shri.Umraomal Purohit,

President, AIRF & Member NAC, 
42/13, Railway Quarters, 
Malad (East), 
Mumbai – 400 071.

2. Shri.S.G.Mishra,

General Secretary, AIRF & Member NAC , 
Gauri Niwas, 
Mavaiya, 
Lucknow.

3. Shri.Shiv Gopal Mishra, 
General Secretary, AIRF & Member NAC
4, State Entry Road, 
New Delhi – 110055.

4. Shri.Rakhal Das Gupta,

Working President, AIRF & Member NAC , 
P.O.Bongaigaon, 
Distt.Bongaigaon, 
Assam.

5. Shri.Ch.Sankara Rao,

Asst.General Secretary AIRF & Member NAC, 
Railway Quarter No.566/3, 
Rail Nilayam Colony, 
Secunderabad 500071 (AP)

6. Shri.Guman Singh,

President, NFIR & Member NAC, 
B-9, Nand Puri Hawa Sarak, 
Baisgodam, 
Jaipur-302019.

7. Shri.M.Raghavaiah,

General Secretary, NFIR & Member NAC, 
Railway Quarter No.428/1, 
Chilkdlguda, 
Secunderabad – 500025 (AP)

8. Shri.R.P.Bharnagar,

Working President, NFIR & Member NAC, 
Railway Quarter No.F/3, Near Loco Workshop, 
Parel, Mumabi-400012

9. Shri.K.S.Murthy,

Vice President, NFIR & Member NAC, 
Block No.112/6, Unit 2, 
Garden Reach, 
Kolkata-43

10. Shri.S.K.Vyas, 

Member NAC,
13-C, Ferozeshaha Road, 
New Delhi-110001

11. Shri.R.Srinivasan,
General Secretary, INDWF & Member NAC, 
No.6, 6th Streeet, 
Vaishnavi Nagar, 
Chennai - 600 109.

12. Shri K.K.N.Kutty, 

President Confederation & Member NAC, 
A-2/95, Rajouri Garden, 
New Delhi - 110 027.

13. Shri.C.Srikumar, 
General Secretary (AIDEF) & Member NAC, 
No.2 Valluvar Street, 
Rani Anna Nagar, 
Arumbakkam, 
Chennai - 600 106.

Sub:     Revision of Grade Pay of LDC to Rs. 2400/ and that of UDC to Rs. 2800/-request for your personal intervention for getting a favorable decision.

Dear Sir,

At the outset I would like to introduce me as TKR Pillai, General Secretary, All India Association of Administrative Staff (Non Gazetted), Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation, Government of India.  This Association had written a letter to the Hon’ble Prime Minister to apprise him of the pathetic conditions of LDC & UDC working in the Central Government Offices and request his office’s intervention on the matter (Copy enclosed in annexure 2 to VIII). While taking action on the said letter DoPT has identified the LDC/UDC issue as anomaly and the case has been sent to JCA for action (copy enclosed in annexure I).

Earlier, the matter was raised in the National Executive Meeting of the Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers by the undersigned and according to a decision taken in the meeting Shri S.K. Vyas, President Confederation and Member National JCM & NAC had put up the item in the National Anomaly Committee. Unfortunately, this most important issue has not been taken up for discussion in the forum so far.

1.            Why the LDC & UDC case become anomaly?

Sixth Pay Commission has denied an appropriate pay structure to the LDC & UDC of Government of India Offices in the light of raising the academic and technical qualification and responsibilities assigned. The officials in these cadres are initiating the official work and made responsible for smooth functioning of the offices, have been granted a simple replacement grade pays. In fact the Grade Pay granted to the post of LDC is only Rs.1900 which is just Rs.100 more than the grade pay of MTS, i.e. Rs.1800/-.  In the mean time the academic & technical qualifications to get selected to the post of LDC have been raised. On the other hand, the Pay Commission has recommended the merger of various group D posts and upgraded their grade pay from Rs. 1400 to Rs.1800 and also given them additional benefit of 3 MACPs to the merged posts. Moreover, all the pre-revised pay scales above UDC -from Accountant to Assistant Administrative Officer- have been merged and granted Rs. 4200 -4600 grade pay.

1.1       Duties/responsibilities assigned to the LDCs in the Non CSCS office:

As per the Staff Selection Commission notification Lower Division Clerks are entrusted with routine nature of work, for example registration of Dak, maintenance of section diary, file register, file movement  register, indexing and recording of files, typing, comparing, dispatch, preparation of arrears and other statements etc.

Whereas in practice,  most of the Non CSCS office (where total staff strength is not more than 100) has been allocated with average one Administrative Officer, 1-2 Assistants, two UDC and 3 to 4 LDC.

(A)       And in a normal Non CSCS office, it has 5-6 major sections which could only be allocated to UDC & above as per the DoPT guide lines, viz.

(i)   Accounts Section-I (where, various payments are processed and released, Income Tax, Budget,  

       NPS, monthly Expenditure Statement, reconciliation are done), (ii) Store & purchase Section,

(iii) Establishment Section (where service records, leave and other personal matters are processed),

(iv) Bill Section, where various kind Bills have been scrutinized for passing etc.

(v)  RTI, Court Cases, handling of Audit Para etc.

(B)       In addition there are other sections viz.

(i)Accounts/Cash Section-II(to Assist the Accounts Section I in discharging their day to day duties, disbursement of cash and maintenance of related registers, cheque books, postage stamps etc), (ii)Dispatch & Diary, (iii)loans & Advance, (iv)typing, maintenance of library, file register, file movement  register, indexing and recording of files, comparing, preparation of arrears and other statements etc.

Since the number of UDCs sanctioned is much lesser than the actual requirement, LDCs are posted in the major section as given under ‘A’ above. Thus in contrary to the nature of duties of LDC as given in the DoPT manual as well as the Staff Selection notification the quality and quantity of work done by the LDC & UDCs are much higher in these offices. The officers are only taking decision on the file put up by the LDCs/UDC on all the matters.

1.2       Position in Indian Railways:

In Railways also, the Junior Clerk & Senior Clerk are even used to allocate the duties identified for the post of OS-II/Head Clerk and made them responsible for the area of work assigned. Junior clerks are allocated routine administrative matters/independent section wherein noting drafting, typing in computer etc are involved. The young, dynamic persons with reasonable academic and technical qualification join on the post of Junior Clerk are capable to take up any kind of assignment and the administration identifies the capabilities of these young chaps and allocates work with higher responsibilities accordingly. Some instances of work allocated to them are as follows –

(1) Preparation of staff muster roll and sending it for salary payment to staff. (2) Issue of Pass/PTO/MCTO etc. (3) Dealing with Railway Quarters & House Rent Allowance case. (4) Issue of Medical card/Identity card etc. (5) Keeping up date knowledge of Railway Establishment Serials/Rulings. (6) Matters related with training, Joining, Transfer, Promotion, Retirement etc. (7) Monitoring of Stock & Non-stock, Requisitions related to Store section and Rolling stock section. (8) Ensuring all the records related to Stores & Establishment Section. (9) Monitoring & processing of challans, Condemnation. (10) Dealing with cases related to PNM Items, D&A cases, Court cases, Inspection Notes, Theft Cases, IOD Cases, & Stock verification (11) Different works of technical data entry and computer related work

1.3       Data Entry Operator (DEO) & LDC

In accordance with the recommendation of 6^th Pay Commission, Government India has raised the academic qualification from Matriculation to 12^th class pass or equivalent and technical qualification of typing from manual typewriter to sophisticated computer for getting selected to the post of LDC through Staff Selection Commission. It is to be noted that typing on computer is far different from the typing on typewriter because for typing on computer one should have the knowledge of the operation of computer for which one required to undergo a computer diploma programme. 

The academic qualifications required for both LDC & DEO are the same i.e. 12^th class pass or equivalent. As regards the technical qualification the candidate appearing for the post of LDC requires 10500 KDPH/9000 KDPH English and Hindi typing respectively on computer whereas the candidate appearing the DEO requires 8,000 KDPH on Computer. But the grade pay granted/fixed for the post of LDC is 1900 and the same for DEO is 2400. Moreover, the DEO has only to entry the readymade data given to them whereas the LDCs have to create data/draft letters and then to type on computer, putting up the matter through file note with justification with the support of rules and procedure.  Thus LDC does more work in qualitatively and quantitative terms with less grade pay than that of the DEO.

1.4       LDC & MTS

Even though the raising of academic qualification of MTS from 8^th Standard to Matriculation, duties prescribed for the earlier Group D and the present MTS are the same.

Whereas the academic & technical qualification of the LDC have been upgraded and assigned heavy responsibilities on them by the office concerned. Majority of the persons selected for the post are graduates and even post graduates and qualified to handle any kind of assignment. The job profile of the post has undergone significant changes after introduction of modernization in Government offices. Now, computers have taken the place of typewriters.

During the 5th Pay Commission, pay scale S-1 to S-4 were granted to the group D posts and pay scale S-5 was granted to LDC i.e. one step above than the pay scale of the Group D posts which never crossed over the pay scale of LDC. In the 6th Pay Commission the pay band of MTS (formerly group D), LDC & UDC are same and Grade pay of LDC is 1900/ and that of MTS through MACP is 2400/.

2.         Massive support from web sites publishes Central Government Employees’ issues:

Meanwhile, various web sites which are exclusively  publish the issues of the Government Employees’ have given enormous support on the upgradation of the grade pay of the LDC & UDC and  published all important correspondence in this connection. Hundreds of LDC and UDCs and other central Government employees registered their comments in support of the issue in these web sites.

3.         Upgradation of the Grade Pay of LDC/UDC by the Rajasthan/Punjab/.Himachal Pradesh & Haryana Governments:

            Rajasthan government had set up Shri Govind Sharma committee to study the upgradation of the grade pay of LDC & UDC. Following a very positive recommendation from the Committee the Rajasthan Government has raised the grade pay of LDC and UDC from the Rs. 1900 & 2400 to 2400 and 2,800 respectively. Also the names of posts 'Lower Division Clerk' and 'Upper Division Clerk’ have been changed as ‘Clerk grade-II' and 'Clerk grade-I' respectively. Similarly, the Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana Government have reportedly upgraded the grade pay of LDC & UDC.

4.         Conclusion

Sir, while taking up this issue, I have got tremendous response from LDC UDC as well as  other sections of the various central Government Departments including Railways and Defense. Dozens of phone calls, e-mail and letter through post are being received on daily basis in support of the demand.

Each and every one who has written me had emphasized that Government of India Offices especially the subordinate offices are functioning smoothly virtually due to the fact that LDCs & UDCs are shouldering heavy responsibilities. But the Pay Commission has not considered equal pay for the work done by them. This has been a demoralizing effect on the already   desperate young and talented cadre in the Government offices.

From the above it is evident that the upgradation of the grade pay of LDC & UDCs is a genuine issue. We, therefore, justifiably request you to put a case for revision of Grade Pay of LDC to Rs. 2400/ and that of UDC to Rs. 2800/. It is to be noted that cases of several cadres in the Administrative branch were considered and favorable decision was taken by the 6^th CPC but the case of LDC & UDC were left out. The LDC and the UDC also deserve higher grade pays than the present one, to commensurate with the qualifications and assignments attached to these posts after the implementation of the recommendations of the 6^th Pay Commission.

I conclude this letter with two comments among the hundreds of comments written in favour on various web sites as follows.

            (1) “Whether letter sent to the DOPT regarding the upgradation of grade pay of LDC and UDC will be considered or not. We are poor LDC and UDC. Nobody has time to understand us. Everybody tries to have best of comforts, income and all other facilities to the higher class of employees. The lower levels of employees are doing hard works. Among them there will be graduates and postgraduates along with few numbers of SSLC or Plus Two or pre-degree qualified. But whatever may be the qualification of the higher class, whether SSLC or PDC or Plus Two, there is no problem. Everybody will get enough. But in the case of LDC and UDC they have to suffer a lot- A lot of financial burden. Try to make awareness among the high powered DOPT about our problems”.

(2) “Many many thanks for your kind efforts taken for the betterment of the Clerical Staff working in the Sub-ordinate Offices of the Govt. of India. The GOI's stepmother treatment towards the Clerical Staff working in the Sub-ordinate Offices must be stopped. There should be parity between the CSCS & the Clerical Staff working in the Sub-ordinate Offices of the Ministry. We have seen that the Govt. has wisely protected the CSCS by implementing NFSG Scheme & Cadre Restructure after the VIth CPC. But the same procedure has not been extended to Sub-ordinate services. Once again many many thanks Sir.” 

In view of the above, we seek your kind personal intervention for getting a favorable decision to revise the GP at Rs. 2400/ and 2800/ respectively to LDC & UDC.

Thanking you

Yours Sincerely

Encl: As above

(TKR Pillai)

General Secretary

Mob. No. 09425372172

A copy of the letter in connection with the upgradation of the grade pay of LDC & UDC sent to the members is forwarded (through e-mail)for favorable action to: 

1.         Com. M Krishnan, Secretary General, Confederation of Central Government Employees &

Workers & NFPE, New Delhi.

2.         The Secretary General, AIRF/NFIR, New Delhi.

3.         Com. M.S. Raja, Secretary General, All India Audit & Accounts Association, New Delhi

4.         The General Secretary, Archeological Survey Employees Association, Baroda.

5.         Com K.P. Rajagopal, Secretary General, Income Tax Employees Federation, New Delhi.

6.         General Secretary, Administrative Staff, Central Excise & Customs Employees Association.

7.         Secretary General, Central Ground water Board Employees Association, Faridabad.

8.         The President, CPWD Administrative Staff Association, Bhopal.

9.         The General Secretary, Geological Survey Employees Association, Kolkata.

10.       The Secretary General, AIRF/NFIR, New Delhi.

11.       The General Secretary, All India Census Employees Association, Bhopal.

12.       The Secretary General, All India Survey of India Ministerial Staff Association, Dheradun.

TKR Pillai)

General Secretary

Mob. No. 09425372172

FORWARDING OF LETTER TO JCA BY THE DOP&T

Department of Personal & Training

CS-II Division

I.D.No. 4/3/2013-PMP4/67682 dated 15.07.2013 received from Prime Minister’s Office is forwarded herewith in original. Shri TKR Pillai General Secretary of the All India Association of Administrative Staff (NG) has raised the issue regarding revision of Grade Pay of LDCs and UDCs belonging to Non-CSCS.

2.         As subject matter is relates to anomaly in the Grade Pay of LDC and UDC which is the subject matter of JCA Section, they are requested to take necessary action in the matter under intimation to this Division.

Sd/

(K. Suresh Kumar)

Under Secretary (CS. II)

DOP&T (Shri Ashok Kumar DS, JCA, North Block, New Delhi

DOP&T I.D. No. 25/2/2013-CS.II (B) Dated . 7.2013/13.08/2013.

Copy to:

            Shri TKR Pillai,

            General Secretary,

            All India Association of Administrative Staff (NG),

            NSSO (FOD), Hall No. 201 & 205,

            Vijay Stumbh, Zone I,

            Maharana Pratap Nagar,

            Bhopal

LETTER TO THE HON'BLE PRIME MINISTER

ALL INDIA ASSOCIATION OF ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF (NG)

MINISTRY OF STATISTICS & PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION

GOVERNMENT ON INDIA

NSSO (FOD), Hall No. 201 & 205, Vijay Stumbh,

Zone I, MaharanaPratap Nagar,

 No. 3/GS/2013                                                                                                       Bhopal, 20/06/2013

To

            The Hon’ble Prime Minister,

            Government of India,

            New Delhi

Sub:     Upgradation of grade pay of LDC & UDC in the Administrative branch of Government of India Offices.

Respected Sir,

With due respect it is to bring to your kind notice that the undersigned in the capacity as General Secretary of All India Association of Ministerial Staff (Group C) under the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation, had made an appeal to your good office vide letter dated 16/04/2010(Enclosed in Annexure I) wherein it was described how the 6^th Pay Commission recommendations disappointed the lakhs of LDC & UDC working in the Central Government Offices. Our contention was that while the 6^th Pay Commission has recommended the merger of the various group D posts and upgraded the grade pay from 1400 to 1800, for the LDCs, only a replacement grade pay of Rs. 1900 i.e. just Rs. 100 above the MTS has been granted, even after raising the academic and technical qualification to get selected on the post. Moreover, all the pre-revised pay scales above UDC -from Accountant to Assistant Administrative Officer- have been merged and granted Rs. 4200 -4600 grade pay. Thus the basic cadres who are responsible for the smooth functioning of the Central Government offices, especially in the subordinate offices, have ignored/neglected by the Pay Commission as well as the Government.

Considering the gravity of the subject contained in it the aforesaid appeal was forwarded to the Secretary, Department of Personal & Training for action vide PMO ID No. 4/3/2010-PMP4/158890 dated 18/05/2010 (Copy enclosed in annexure II). When any action on the matter has visibly been not taken by the DoPT till 2012, and having aggrieved on the prolonged delay, follow up correspondences have been made as follows:

Shri A.H. Lokhande, Jabalpur has sought the action taken report under RTI (copies enclosed in Annexure III (A) & III(B). But both CPIO & appellate authority vide letter No. 20/2/2012-Estt(Pay-1) dated 29Aug 2012 & letter No 20/2/2012-Estt(Pay-1) dated 23^rd Oct 2012 respectively have confirmed that the said letter has not received at  DoPT and as such no action taken report can be given(copies enclosed in Annexure IV(A) & IV (B). Subsequently, the undersigned has obtained a copy of the acknowledgement in confirmation of the receipt of my letter dated 16/04/2010 at DoPT from the PM’s Office. In the light of the said acknowledgement, a letter seeking the copy of the action taken report/Noting drafting under RTI was sent to the CPIO DoPT vide letter dated 09/03/13 (Copy enclosed in Annexure V (A)-V(E).

On 25^th April 2013 I have received a letter from CS Section of DoPT (Annexure VI), which has not given the pointed reply I sought, and as such the same was not convincing. And accordingly an appeal was sent to the appellate authority under RTI act vide letter dated 29/04/2013 for which I have received a letter vide letter No. 20/1/2013-CS-II (B) dated 21^st May 2013.(enclosed in Annexure VII (A) & VII(B)  wherein it was informed that “CS-II Division deals only with the LDCs & UDCs of the Central Secretariat Service and as such no records available CS-II Division, there is no proposal to upgrade the grade pay of the LDC & UDC of CSCS Cadre. The application of Shri A.H. Lokhande has not been received in this Division”. Accordingly an order for the disposal of the appeal has been passed.

From the above it is clear that the letter received in the DoPT from the PM’s office has not taken in the records of DoPT where it appears to have been  misplaced which led CPIO and appellate authorities  to state that no such letter is received at DoPT from the PM’s Office. In this respect, even after submitting/providing the proof the acknowledgement of the said letter (obtained from the PM’s Office), DoPT has not bothered to change their version. Moreover, the copies of the applications submitted by Shri A.H. Lokhande have been supplied and even after CS-II division has not changed their version of not receiving any letter from Shri A.H. Lokhande.

            Above all, both Shri A.H. Lokhande and myself have sought information regarding the action taken report/noting/drafting in disposal of the letter forwarded to the Secretary, DoPT by the PM’s office vide letter No. 4/3/2010-PMP4/158890 dated 18/05/2010. In reply, the CPIOs and Appellate authorities (pay Division & CS-II Division) have been informing us that the said letter is not received in their section and as such no action is taken.

Sir, the Confederation of Central Government Employees & Workers, All India Railway men’s Federation, National Federation of India Railway men, the Defense Employees Federation and various other Central Government Employees’ Organizations have been writing to the Government to consider the upgradation of the grade pay of the LDC & UDC. Besides, the issue has been put up in the National JCM but the matter could not be discussed as the meeting of the National JCM meeting has not been called so far. Moreover, this item has been placed in the National Anomaly Committee (NAC) but the same has not been taken up for discussion in the NAC so far. It is also bring to your kind notice that all the websites related to the Central Government Employees have actively been discussing the issue as genuine.

Sir, the upgradation of the grade pay of LDC & UDCs is a genuine issue. Cases of all cadres baring the LDC & UDC were considered and favorable decision was taken by the 6^th CPC. Similarly, the LDC and the UDC are also deserving  higher grade pays than the present one, to commensurate with the qualifications and assignments attached to these posts after the implementation of the recommendations of the 6^th Pay Commission.

In view of the above, we seek your kind intervention to get a favourable decision in this regard.

Encl:    As above

Yours faithfully

(TKR Pillai)

General Secretary