A delegate of the Association consisting,  Shri AI Khan, Shri TKR  Pillai, Shri Hansraj Jat and  Shri Rajesh Kumar met the Secretary, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation at New Delhi on 14th March and submitted the following memorandum. The delegates requested him to constitute a monitoring committee to ensure timely implementation of Cadre restructuring that he kindly agreed. Thus we hope the cadre restructuring of Administrative staff will be done without prolonged delay.  

GRIEVANCES OF ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF

TO BE CONSIDERED IMMEDIATELY

ALL INDIA ASSOCIATION OF ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF (GROUP  C)

MINISTRY OF STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION

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

Vijay Stumbh, Zone, I, M P Nagar,           

Bhopal, dated: 15/03/2019

To

Shri  Pravin Shrivasthava,

Secretary,

Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation,
Sardar Patel Bhawan, Parliament Street,

New Delhi

Sub:    Grievances of Administrative Staff to be considered immediately.

Respected Sir,

It is to submit that Administrative Staff of FOD, NSSO have been facing some problem of basic nature since very long viz. (2) Non restructure of administrative cadres since the inception of FOD. (2) Down-gradation of the post of Office Superintendent. (3) Problem faced by the MTS after 6^th Pay Commission etc. Despite of or best efforts for the last 10 years, no result is come out on these important issues.

In this respect, I genuinely feel that with your personal intervention, all these issues can be solved in a time bond manner. Thus it is my fervent appeal to   please intervene in this matter for its early finalization so that the sufferings of the Administrative staff of NSSO (FOD) on the matter may come to an end.

            A detailed note on this subject is enclosed herewith.

With regards, 

Yours faithfully,

Sd/

(AI Khan)

General Secretary

1.                 1.          Cadre restructuring of Administrative Staff & Stenographers

Cadre restructuring of Administrative Staff and Stenographers of NSSO (FOD) Offices has not been done since its inception.  But cadre restructuring of Field Officers/cadres are being done periodically. Even though the Ministry of Statistics had initiated action to restructure the cadre of Administrative Staff of FOD in the year 2009 it is s still pending.

The proposal submitted earlier were revised and resubmitted on several occasions as per the comments of the MoSPI and Department of Expenditure with no fruitful result. However, it has come to know that subsequently a revised Cadre restructuring proposal was submitted in May 2017 after consultation with the then Under Secretary and  the Deputy Secretary who dealt the subject in the MoSPI and also after a power point presentation before the Joint Secretary in-charge of Administration in MoSPI, who was also reported to have endorsed the entire proposal.  And yet, the proposal is shuttling between FOD, MoSPI and Department of Expenditure.  It has come to know that at present FOD has resubmitted the proposal after complying with the instructions of MoSPI and Department of Expenditure.

It is to be noted that the clerical staff and stenographers, working in NSSO Offices are appointed through the competitive examination conducted by the Staff Selection Commission. While the candidates sponsored by the SSC for appointment to these categories of staff in other Ministries they  have been getting promotion up to the level 8-9 of 7^th Pay Commission scales after rendering 30 years of service, the candidates appointed from the same batch in NSSO (FOD) hardly reach the pay level of 4-6. This is due to lack of periodical cadre restructuring of Administrative staff.

2.                2.       Down-gradation of the post of Office Superintendent:

Till 6^th Pay Commission, Office Superintendents of FOD were functioned as Section Officer and DDO. But consequent on the merger of the pay scales of Rs. 5000-8000 & 5500-9000, the post Office Superintendent has been downgraded to the Non Gazetted Assistant with Grade Pay of Rs. 4200. To combat this situation, FOD, NSSO had proposed creation of posts of Administrative Officers with Grade Pay of Rs. 4600 in all Regions in the cadre restructuring proposal without any additional financial burdens. But due to the inordinate delay in the cadre restructuring, Non Gazetted Assistant are forced to do the duties entrusted to the post of Administrative Officer without any additional remunerations.

       In the absence of a Gazetted officer in the Administrative section, majority of the Regional offices deputed one Senior Statistical Officer to supervise the work in administrative section and functioning as DDO and sometimes declared as HO too. Since many of these SSO are not conversant with the rules/regulations related to Administration/accounts matters, their presence in the administrative section often has become burdensome.  If Administrative Officers are posted in the Regional Offices, they may act as HO and DDO also for the smooth functioning of office thereby relieving the SSO entirely for field work.

Moreover, down-gradation of the post of Office Superintendent to Assistant caused to increase the number post of Assistants.  But sufficient qualified UDC was not available to fill up all the posts of Assistants. Now, it has come to know that Department of Expenditure is demanding to abolish all posts of Assistants kept vacant more than 5 years. But it is not justifiable. Thus it is requested to please promote all UDCs against the vacancy of Assistant by relaxing recruitment rules as a onetime measure and the consequent vacancies of UDC may be filled by relaxing the recruitment rules of LDC. And immediate action may please be taken to get upgraded the posts of Assistant equivalent to the existing office Superintendent 

3.                 3. Problem faced by the MTS after 6^th Pay Commission.

 According to sixth Pay Commission the existing 5 pay scales of Group D staff had been merged to a single pay band and granted Rs. 1800 Grade Pay and named the post as Multi Tasking Staff (MTS) i.e. amalgamating the posts with unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled functions without any scientific basis or logic. Consequently, the educational qualification for direct recruitment for the post has been raised to Matriculation and the status of the post has been raised from group D to Group C. But a person who passed matriculation might have also been passed 12^th standard. And most of the persons who passed 12^th standard may be a graduate and applies for the post of MTS and other competitive examinations simultaneously. The person selected for the post of MTS is forced to join the post due their domestic burden etc. But they are not satisfied because a single promotional post for the post for the post of MTS is available at present, whereas there were 4 promotional channels for the existing Group D Staff.

 Out of the cadre structure existed before 6^th Pay Commission, majority posts were unskilled viz. Mali, Cobbler, sweeper etc they did not want even 8^th standard pass for getting selection to the post. Thus matriculate peon, consisted less percentage of the total strength, only considered appointing to the post of LDC, under 15 percent quota. Thus at that time 15 percent quota was looking to be sufficient to meet the requirement. I know several persons initially appointed as peon have been retired on Gazetted posts. But the scenario has changed now, all the posts of MTS including the existing post of Cobbler, Mali, Sweeper all are appointing through competitive examination and the number of educationally qualified MTS increased many fold.  Thus the percentage of promotional quota for MTS to the post of LDC needs to be increased. It can only be possible at least 40 percent of the posts of LDC be reserved for the sake of promotion to MTS only.

==0==