Sunday, February 16, 2014

JOINT ACTION COMMITTEE OF
ACCOUNTS & AUDIT EMPLOYEES & OFFICERS ORGANISATIONS
17/2 – C, P & T Quarters, Kali Bari Marg, New Delhi: - 110001
No: JAC/ Circular-4/2014                                                                            Date: 15th February 2014

To
Chief Executive of Constituent Organisations &
Conveners, local JACs

Dear Comrades,

We congratulate you for having observed dharna by Executive Committee Members on 29th January ‘14 all over the country in almost of all the offices of IA&AD & Organised Accounts. We also take note of the fact that 48 hour strike call on 12-13 February ‘14 has been to a certain extent implemented in many offices of IA&AD and organised Accounts.

                These measures have had its impact and a meeting with JS (Per) (i.e. Joint Secretary, Department of Expenditure) to discuss the agenda item 28 of National Anomaly Committee regarding Audit / Accounts wage structure took place on 14 February,14 (i.e. very next day of our strike action).

The gist of the discussion is as under:

Pay Scale of Auditors/Accountants:
We pointed out that the Six Central Pay Commission in para 7.56.8, 7.56.9 and Para 7.56.13 has only recommended the revised pay structure of SA (7.56.8), SO, AAO, AO & SAO (Para 7.56.9) and Divisional Accountant the Sr. DAO (Para 7.56.13). As regards other posts in IA&AD & organised Accounts i.e. Auditors/Accountants the Six Central Pay commission had separately recommended (vide para 7.56.10) parity between Secretariat and non-secretariat in chapter 3.1 of the report.

                In para 3.1.14 it has been specifically stated that the posts of Auditor/Accountants being in the Pay Scale of 4500-7000 should be placed in the PB-2 (Rs.9300-34800) with GP of 4200.

                However Auditor/Accountants have been given the pay structure of PB-1 (5200-20200) Grade Pay of 2800 which is incorrect. On the basis of para 3.1.14 Auditor/Accountants should be placed in PB2 (9300-34800) with Grade Pay of 4200.

Senior Auditors/Accountants
In Para 7.56.8, the Six Central Pay Commission had recommended for Sr Auditor/Accountant (SA) PB-2, GP 4200 in which the Assistants of Central Secretariat and SA has been placed. The observation of Six CPC that Govt. had never conceded the principle of parity between Assistants of Central Secretariat Services and SA is not factually correct. In the year Nov.1983 Govt. has proposed to grant the pay scale of Assistant of Central Secretariat i.e. 425-800 to 80% posts of Auditors. Again the 4 CPC has recommended the pay scale of 1400-2600 to Assistant of Central Secretariat and SA on the basis of merit which was accepted by Government. Finally the pay scale of Assistant of Central Secretariat i.e. 5500-9000 was granted to SA notionally w.e.f. 1.1.96.

                From these developments, it is fully established that parity between Assistant of CSS & SA has been conceded by the Government time and again.  Now after the Sixth CPC, the Government has further upgraded the pay scale of Assistants of Central Secretariat to PB-2 9300-34800 with GP of 4600 w.e.f. 1.1.2006. With effect from 1.1.2006 the Sr Auditors/Accountants should also be granted the GP of 4600 in PB-2, 9300-34800.

Assistant Audit /Accounts Officers
In para 7.56.9 6th CPC has made the following recommendations: ‘The post of SO will be placed in the next higher pay scale carrying the GP of 4800 in PB-2 which corresponds to the pre-revised pay scale of 7500-12500. This upgradation will place the posts of SO and AAO in an identical pay scale, thus necessitating the upgradation of the later category (AAO)’. The 6 CPC had therefore recommended that the post of AAO & AO should be merged. Government have in their resolution dated 29.08.2008 decided that post of SO and AAO should be merged ‘as per recommendation of 6 CPC’.

                From this it is very clear that the Government have erroneously read the recommendation of pay commission according to which the posts of AAO & AO should be merged. This error has to be rectified by merging the posts of AAO with AO granting the pay with GP of 5400 in PB-2.

Accounts/Audit Officers
Audit & Accounts Officer had been assigned the pre-revised pay scale of 7500-12000 w.e.f. 1.1.96 as recommended by 5th CPC. As a result of re-structuring in 1990, 20% posts of Divisional Accountants have been upgraded as Gr. DAO in the pre-revised pay scale of 7500-12000 bringing them at par with AOs. Therefore the AO should be placed in PB-2 GP of 5400 in which Sr. DAOs have been placed on the basis of recommendations of 6 CPC in para 7.56.13 and not in PB-2, GP of 5400 as has been done. Consequently Sr. AOs have to be granted the next higher grade PB-3, GP 6600.

 In this connection the observation of 6 CPC that the entry pay for IA&AS is presently 8000-13500 - which is identical to the scale of SAOs - upgrading their pay scale any further will place them in a higher level than the entry grade of IA&AS, which is a promotion post. This observation is not based on actual practice. AOs when they are promoted to Gr. A post, they are not placed in the entry grade of IA&AS, but in the post of Dy. Accountant General which is in the PB-3, GP of 6600. Therefore the perceived anomaly would not at all arise and Sr. AO can legitimately be placed in PB-3 GP of 6600 to maintain the vertical relativity.
                We also pointed out the press release issued by PIB dated 14th August 2008, conveying the Cabinet decisions implementing the recommendations of 6 CPC. In Para 11.5 of this release, it has been stated that Government has continued the present position of granting  Group A scale to Gr B officers after completion of 4 years of service and this officers would be placed in PB-3 instead of PB-2 recommended by 6CPC. This would benefit the Gr. B officers of Railway Accounts Services, CSSS, DANICS &DENIPS. 

                However this dispensation which has been allowed to all Gr. B officers of the categories specified above except in Audit/Accounts Services. Therefore, what has been given is in contrary to the above policy of the Government.
Comrades,
                The above gist of discussions should be explained to the entire membership through pamphlets, separately for each category so that the justification for upgradation in the pay structure is fully understood by them. General Body meetings should also be held where this circular is read and discussed. Members should be encouraged to offer their views and comments on the justification which has been placed by us before the Government for upgrading our wage structure. The membership should be informed that only if we collectively manifest our unity through massive dharnas, mass deputation etc the Government may pay head to our arguments and consider them.

                To create requisite pressure upon Government we should organise demonstrations, Dharna, Mass deputations etc once in every fortnight. It is only then that when another meeting is held with Js(Per) & JS (Estt) meaningful negotiations may  take place and some outcome may be there. As we want that our legitimate demand for upgraded wage structure should be agreed by the Government we have to organise every fortnight programmes, dharna, mass deputation, etc. It would be necessary that a continued campaign is carried out amongst the membership that the entire membership is organised and mobilised in these programmes. Please implement these programmes and intimate the total strength of membership and the number of membership who participated in the programmes.

                The apex JAC will meet again in June or even earlier if the next meeting with the Government takes place earlier to review the mobilisation achieved through these programmes as also the outcome of negotiations and then to decide further intensification of the struggle for upgraded wage structure. Therefore, as per our decision of the Joint National Executive meeting of 11th January 2014, we shall have to go ahead with the programmes of Joint Dharna by all the constituents of the station in the 2nd or 3rd week of March 2014 and Massive signature campaign during April/May 14. Date of Dharna and the format for signature campaign shall be finalised and circulated shortly.


                With greetings,
Yours fraternally,



(V. Bhattacharjee)

Convener

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