CO-ORDINATION COMMITTEE (COC)
OF
CIVIL ACCOUNTS EMPLOYEES AND OFFICERS ASSOCIATIONS
Represented
By
National Federation of Civil
Accounts Associations (NFCAA)
[All India Civil Accounts
Employees Association]
[All India Civil Accounts
Employees Association Category II]
Central Office: - Address for Communication:
Room No. 351,
‘B’ Wing, 17/2 – C, P & T Quarters,
Loknayak Bhawan, Kali Bari Marg,
Khan Market, New Delhi –
110003 New Delhi-110001
And
All
India Association of Pay and Accounts Officers (Civil)
Central
Headquarters: - Address
for Communication:-
2/10 Jamnagar
House,
C/o Film Division,
New Delhi: -
110011
Ministry
of Information and Broadcasting,
Phase –I Building 4th Floor, 24,
Dr. G. Deshmukh Marg,
Mumbai- 400026
No.COC/CA/2019/Corr-14 Dated: 14.08.2019
To,
Shri
G.P. Gupta,
Controller
General of Accounts,
Ministry
of Finance,
Department
of Expenditure,
4th Floor, GPOA, Block-E, INA,
New Delhi –
110023
Subject: - meeting for
settlement of long pending issues
Sir,
In pursuance of our letter dated
1st August 2019 and your discussion with our Delhi based
representatives on 8th August 2019 in which you had kindly agreed to
meet our representatives in this week, we are enclosing herewith the items with
background notes on which we sought your intervention and settlement.
Further,
we assure you that only limited number of vital National Executive Members from
each Association shall attend the proposed meeting.
Thanking you,
Enclo: as above
Yours
Sincerely,
(A.B.Sunilkumar) (Amol V. Sule)
(V.Bhattacharjee)
Joint Convener, COC and Secretary
General Joint Convener, COC and
Secretary General All India Civil Accounts Secretary General
AllIndia Association of Pay Employees Association All India Civil Accounts
and Accounts Officers
(Civil) Category
II Employees Association
Item No.1
Recommendation of the proposal to the Department of
Expenditure for 1st Cadre Review of Group B&C officers and
employees after incorporation of the proposal for appropriate pay scales and
designation to Accountants and Data entry operators respectively which have not
reportedly been incorporated in the existing proposal prepared by the CGA
office and despite giving assurance to the staff side.
It has been learnt that the proposal for 1st Cadre
Review of Group & C officers and employees has been forwarded to the
Secretary, Department of Expenditure by the CGA office.
The error in recommendations in respect of the following cadres
is required to be corrected:-
ACCOUNTANT
1.
There is no distinctive borderline in duties of Accountant
and Senior Accountants.
2. 80% posts of Accountant
were decided for up-gradation as Senior Accountant after 3 years of service
w.e.f. 01.04.1987 by specifying the nature of works to be performed by
Accountant and Senior Accountants separately. Justification of this is totally
obsolete in the present scenario as there is no distinction of work and there
cannot be two set of employees with two sets of pay scales for same work.
3. The 6 CPC in para 3.1.14
had recommended that the pre-revised Pay
Scale of 4500-7000 will be merged with pre-revised Pay Scale of 6500-10500 and
placed in Pay Band 2 with Grade Pay of 4200.
Govt. has accepted the recommendation and the Departments
which have proposed for the implementation of the pay scale for their employees
has been accepted by the Govt. The Accountant were in pre-revised Pay Scale of
4500-7000 have not been assigned the PB-2 Grade Pay of 4200 because of the fact
that the office of the CGA never took up the issue with the government.
4. Accountants are recruited
through CGLE conducted by Staff Selection Commission which is common
examination for recruitment of employees for the pay level 7, 6, 5 and 4 of pay
matrix and the qualified candidates are allocated to different Departments according
to their merit from level 7 to level 4. Unfortunately, the candidates placed in
the 3rd category of the merit list are coming to Civil Accounts Organization
as Accountants at pay level 5.
5. We had proposed that the arrangement of Accountant and Senior
Accountant may be dispensed with and merged together as Senior Accountants
and placed in the pay level 7 of pay
matrix (like JAO & AAO) so that there is justice with the cadre and Department
could have better quality employees from the recruitment source.
6. However,
as proposed by the “Internal Cadre Review Committee” of the office of CGA, we
have agreed for continuation of the Accountant and Sr. Accountant keeping in
view the future prospects of lower grade officials who shall be benefited out
of this.
7.The proposal of the Internal Cadre Review Committee to place
Accountant in level 5 (PB 1 with GP 2800 of pre revised pay scale) and Sr. Accountant in level 7(PB 2 with GP
4600 of pre-revised pay scale) is thus
totally faulty on the following grounds:
· Despite performing same
work the Accountants would be getting two stage lower pay then the Senior
Accountants which is totally unscientific, illogical and inconsistent. There is
no such example of such type in the salary structure of the of the departments
of the Government of India.
· Accountants have been
denied the duty pay which is due to them after the 6CPC. Hence offering of due
salary to this grade after 15(fifteen) years to this grade of employees is most
justified.
· The Department would not
be able to have quality Accountant from recruitment source.
· Marginal increase in
financial liability on the Government for the Cadre Review of a set of nearly 10,000(ten thousand) Group B
& C officers and employees after 42 /43 years is not the additional financial
liability on the Government at all.
Therefore, the
Accountants should be in the level 6 of the pay matrix which is most scientific
and justified.
DATA ENTRY OPERATORS
1. The position taken by the Internal cadre review committee is
not based on facts. 10 plus 2 and graduates were recruited as DEO(earlier name KPO)were recruited. Moreover, the onus of
mode of recruitment does not fall on the recruitee.
2. DEOs were recruited to share the work of Accountant/ Senior
Accountant and not LDCs.
3. It is on record that the DEO Grade – A was never in the pay
scale of LDC . The initial pay scale to the grade was 1150 -1500 while the
pay scale of LDC was 950-1350
4. In 2001 one of the DEOs was converted as Accountant.
5. After V CPC, DEOs had been granted pay scale of UDC/ Accountant
i.e.4000-6000.
6. CGA had recommended for merger of cadre of DEO the cadre of
Accountant/ Senior Accountant to VI CPC.
7. From 2015 onwards all DEOs of CBIC setup have been engaged to
work as Accountants and they are performing the duties of Accountants and Senior
Accountants .
8. As per Recruitment Rules, the DEO grade A are on par with UDCs.
9. Merger of DEOs with the cadre of Accountant/Senior Accountant
shall not put any additional financial burden on the Government due to the fact that almost all the employees
of this category have received 3rd MACPs but conferring them the designation of
Accountant/Senior Accountant provide them a social status which is more than
deserving for them.
10. The proposal of the Internal Cadre Review Committee to downgrade
the DEO cadre ignoring their nature of duties of Accountant/ Sr. Accountants
and merging the cadre with the proposed Accounts Assistants is thus totally
faulty.
Therefore, it is more than justified that
the DEO Cadres should be merged with Accountant/Sr. Accountant and not with the
Cadre of LDC even after up-gradation of LDC Cadre as Accounts Assistant.
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Item No.2
Implementation of the new pattern
of AAO (Civil) Examination with continuation of exemptions acquired by the
candidates in the old pattern of examination as per convention and from the
angle of natural justice.
This item itself is self-explanatory. However, we would like to
state the following:
1. The new pattern of examination has been kept pending for
last two years due to which hundreds of prospective candidates are not able to
appear the examination and they have lost one year of their career .
3. While the candidates who have cleared eight papers of the
old pattern examination till the supplementary examination of 2018 have been
promoted as AAO and even AO/Sr. AO, there is no justification that the
candidates cleared less than eight papers of same pattern and same examinations
shall be denied the credit of clearing those papers and in order to get their
promotion as AAO, they shall have to appear and clear all papers afresh in the
new pattern of examination to be introduced.
4. While MTS are also group C and other Accounting
Departments of Government of India are allowing graduate MTS to appear the AAO©
Examination, there is no justification that a graduate MTS Of Civil Accounts
Organization can not appear the examination even after completion of 3 (three)
years’ service that too in a situation where a LDC of other Department who
comes on deputation basis becomes eligible to appear the examination even after
one year of absorption in the Organization.
All the three aspects being the part of natural justice
need to be implemented.
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Item No.3
Grant of recognition to the All India Civil Accounts Employees Association Category II in terms of the provisions of CCS (RSA) 1993 as the Associations commends the confidence of more than 21% AAOs.
All India Civil Accounts Employees Association Category -II
represents AAOs and it has started functioning as an independent Association after
bifurcation of composite All India Civil Accounts Association by CGA in 2002.
Verification of membership of AICAEA Cat-II seems to be longest
in the history of Civil Accounts.
However, CGA office vide OM dated. 25th April 2017 ordered latest phase
of membership verification of AICAEA Cat-II. From this verification of
membership, CGA office had generated three reports with membership of 251, 227
and 186 in July, 2017, January 2018 and February 2018 respectively.
For the purpose of recognition as a second major Association in
the category in terms of the CCS (RSA) Rules, 1993, the magic number of 207
memberships is required for the All India Civil Accounts Employees Association
Category II and it constitutes 15% of the total number employees on roll.
The association concerned has submitted details like name, place
of posting, DDO /PAO, UTR No generated through PFMS, etc. of 247 members which
is more than 21% even though such details are unwarranted as per CCS (RSA)
Rules 1993.
Since AICAEA Cat-II has membership of more than 21% as on July
2017, the Association may kindly be granted recognition without any more delay.
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Item No.4
Grant
of Group “A”” status to the Sr. Accounts officers as their counterpart working
in IA&AD has already extended the same.
The cadre of Senior Audit
Officers and Senior Accounts Officers was created by the Govt. of India in 1992
by upgrading 80% of the posts of Audit Officers and Accounts Officers (in the
pay scale of Rs. 2375-3500 respectively) to a scale of pay meant for Group A
officers of the Govt. of India, i.e. Rs. 2200-4000. Although this cadre was
placed on par with Group A in terms of the pay scale, their classification
remained as Group B officers. Subsequently, on 29.8.2008, the Govt. of India,
notified the Central Civil Services (Revised Pay) Rules, 2008 ("2008
Rules"). Under these rules, Senior Audit and Accounts officers were placed
in the PB (i.e. Pay Band) 3 band of the pay scale (8000 - 13500) with a monthly
grade pay of Rs 5400/- (similar to Group A officers of the various departments
of the Govt. of India) under Section XX entitled "Organized Account
Cadres" of the 2008 Rules.
On 9.4.2009, crucially, the
Deptt. of Personnel and Training in suppression of its earlier order of 1998,
in S.O. 946(E), noted that a central civil post holder carrying grade pay of
Rs. 7600/-, Rs. 6600/- and Rs. 5400/- in the scale of pay of Rs. 15600-39-100
in PB-3 was to be classified as a Group A officer. Finally, on 17.4.2009, the
DOPT - acting upon the Central Civil Service (Revised Pay) Rules, 2008 and
following up on S.O. 946 - through OM No. 11012/7/2008-Estt. (A), noted as
follows:
"As per clause (4) of the central civil services (Revised Pay).Rules,
2008 ... the pay band and qrade pay or the pay scales, as applicable, of every
post/grade specified in column 2 of the First Schedule thereto shall be as
specified against it in columns 5 and 6 thereof. Consequent upon the
notification of the said rules, it has become necessary to prescribe revised
norms for categorization of posts into the above mentioned four categories
based on the pay band and grade pay or the pay scales as applicable, as
approved by the Government. Accordingly, an Order classifying the various
Central Civil Services posts into Group "A", "B",
"C", "D", based on the revised norms of pay has been
notified in the Gazette of India Extraordinary vide s.o. 946 (E) dated
09.04.2000." The OM also noted, in the 4th paragraph, that "[i]n some
Ministries/Departments, posts may exist which are not classified as per the
norms laid down by this Department. lf, for any specific reason, a
Ministry/Department proposes to classify the posts differently it would be
necessary for that Department to send a specific proposal to Department of
Personnel and Training giving full justification in support of the proposal
within three months of this O.M. so that the exceptions to the norms of
classification laid down in S.O. 946 (E) dated 09- 04 - 2009 can be
notified."
Subsequently, after 7 CPC the
Govt. issued several orders indicating that the officers placed in Level -10
and above are classified as Gr. A. The Sr. Accounts Officers/Sr. Audit Officers
working in different AGs and other establishments of IA&AD have already
been conferred Gr. A status with attended benefits retrospectively. On the
other hand the Sr. Accounts Officers in the Civil Accounts Organization are
still deprived of the same.
It is pertinent to mention
that Sr. Accounts Officers of CCAS cadre
work as Heads of Offices in most of the field offices scattered throughout the
country in a highly IT based working environment. They require dealing with
number of DDOs. Most of such DDOs are Gr. A, and in Level-11 (GP Rs.6600/-) and
above. In formations like CGHS officers of the rank of SAG also work as DDOs.
In such a situation depriving Sr. Accounts Officers of the status of Gr. A is
highly demoralizing.
Accordingly,
for furthering the cause of the august organization the Controller General of
Accounts, and in the interest of proper management of the Finance and Accounts
of the Govt. of India, Gr. A status Sr. Accounts Officers needs to be conferred
i retrospectively (wef - 1.1.2006), with attended benefits, in no time.
Item No.5
Grant
of promotion to Senior Accountants as AAOs under 10% promotional Quota which
has been discontinued since October 2015 without any valid ground.
1.
The office of the Controller
General of Accounts vide para 2 of the O.M. No:-A-60015/1/2008/MF.CGA
(A)/NGE/Pay Com/29 dated 2nd June 2009 had conveyed its decision that
the cadre of Junior Accounts Officer and Assistant Accounts Officer would be
re-designated as Assistant Accounts Officer and classified as Group “B”
Gazetted and till such time, the new Recruitment Rules are framed, the
promotions to the new cadre of AAO would be made in terms of existing RRs of
JAO cadre.
2.
As per (i) & (ii) of column
12 of the Central Civil Accounts Service (Junior Accounts Officer and Assistant
Accounts Officer) Recruitment Rules, 2000 placed in the website of the Controller
General of Accounts, Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure-
(i) 90% posts in the grade of Junior Accounts Officer shall
be filled by promotion on seniority- cum-fitness from a common seniority of
persons who have passed Junior Accounts Officers (Civil) Examination,
and
(ii) 10% of posts in the grade of
Junior Accounts Officer shall be filled up by promoting senior Accounts who
have rendered not less than 10 years’ service in the grade on
selection-cum-seniority and who have crossed the age of 53 years as on 1st
January of the year.
3.
In persuasion of the decisions
conveyed through the O.M. number referred in point 1 above, your office had
granted promotions to the grade of Assistant Accounts Officer to the eligible
persons till November 2014 in application of the provisions laid down in (1)
& (2) of the column 12 of Recruitment Rules, 2000 stated in the point No. 2.
4.
From December 2014 onwards, your
office has stopped granting promotions to the eligible persons in application
of the provisions (2) of column 12 of Recruitment Rules, 2000.
5.
Association was however, given to
understand by your office vide letter dated 26.10.2015 that, in order to
recognize the services being rendered by the Senior Accountants and to ensure
continuation of their career advancements, a separate method for promotion of
Senior Accountants shall be adopted by your office through issuing of
Notifications of Recruitment Rules for Supervisor (Accounts) and AAOs
simultaneously. But it is nearly 4(four) years now, your office has not even
circulated the draft Recruitment Rules for Supervisor (Accounts).
Due to above narrated situations, hundreds of eligible Senior
Accountants have not got the due benefit of promotions as Assistant Accounts
Officers from December 2014 onwards and many of the Senior Accountants have
even retired from service while nearly 50% (fifty percent) posts of Assistant
Accounts Officers in the Civil Accounts Organization are lying vacant for last
four years and the senior most Senior Accountants working in the field formations are
shouldering the additional work loads of vacant posts of Assistant Accounts
Officers.
Under the above circumstances, we would like to request you the
following-
1.
Since neither the Central Civil
Accounts Service (Junior Accounts Officers and Asstt. Accounts Officers)
Recruitment Rules, 2000 has been amended nor the Recruitment Rules for
Supervisor (Accounts) has been framed for last four years and the Senior
Accountants eligible for promotions as
Assistant Accounts Officers under 10% promotion quota as par the provisions of the
Recruitment Rules, 2000 were not granted promotion as Assistant Accounts
Officers despite existence of vacancies under the specified promotion quota,
all of them may kindly be granted promotion as Assistant Accounts Officers
immediately.
2.
The process of granting promotion
to Senior Accountants as Assistant Accounts Officers under the 10% promotion
quota may be continued till the Recruitment Rules for Supervisor (Accounts) is
framed and implemented so that the promotions of the Senior Accountants are not
stalled abruptly.
This Association shall be extremely thankful to you, if you
kindly appreciate the sufferings of the Senior Accountants in the shape of both
financial loss as well as social degradation, and provide them justice by
taking early favorable actions on the requests made through this letter.
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Item No.6
Revised Pay Scale of Rs. 5400 in PB2 (Pay level-9) to all A.A.Os with effect from 01-01-2006.
The sphere of working of the Civil Accounts employees and officers at large is different in comparison to the other analogous services. Since inception Civil Accounts must be conversant with variety of patterns, scopes and especially latest technologies. AAOs of this Department are not only have to well conversant with the new technology but also must take responsibility for giving training to the other Civil Accounts employees as well as to the entire staff of their DDOs also. After implementation of PFMS, the dream project of the Government for Digital India, monitored by the Prime Minister Office the responsibility of AAOs have been considerably increased as they bear the pivotal role for successfully running of the system all over our vast country.
As our DDOs are spread over in every corner of
this country it is the duty and responsibility of specially of the AAOs to make
every person of the DDOs well conversant with the new system so that total
government exchequer may run through the PFMS. New additions in PFMS have been
developed such as EIS, EAT, NTRP modules etc. and as it is a continuous
process.
The role of AAOs in future will also be
increased significantly. There are other software portals such as BHAVIISHYA,
GEM etc. where AAOs are having an important role in processing cases.
Besides, there are Ministry/Department wise
separate unique sphere of duty in which AAOs are to be accustomed at once as
they are to be posted in any Ministry/Department in any station as per the Transfer Policy.
They are also posted isolate in Divisions of M/o Urban Development, Water
Resources, Information and Broadcasting as Financial Advisors to the Divisional
Heads. They are even acting as Head of Office in some Pay & Accounts Office
in M/o Women and Child Development.
Above justifications distinctively
suggest that the working atmosphere and responsibility of AAOs are different
and esteemed enough in comparison to other analogous services. Success of the
concept of Digital India of the modern Government depends a lot on the
activities of Civil Accounts and role of AAOs are vital in this regard. The
demand for granting GP 5400 w.e.f. 01/01/2006 has background in recommendations
of 6th CPC. So it is proposed to accord Pay Level 9 to the Assistant Accounts
Officer and treat the appointment as afresh.
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Item No.7
Protection against Cybercrime and regular induction and other training facilities for all categories of employees.
After the implementation of PFMS few incidences
have surfaced wherein fraudulent means employed by few miscreants has led to
victimisation of Civil Accounts employees and officers.
PFMS is a good initiative but its open source
technology at initial stages has led to few problems.
PFMS platform should be security proof
technologically and operationally. Few suggestions for improvement are as
follows: -
1) Instructions on Infrastructure and computer friendly
environment should be strictly followed not only at PAO offices but also at
other offices linked with PFMS
2) Requirement of proper antivirus to all systems linked to PFMS
3) One-point procurement and safety of hardware insured
4) Operational part of creating login of PD/DH/AAO be OTP/
biometric based and necessary instructions be given to all for true and genuine
information of subscriber to the system
5) System should report more details like location of sanction
id users so it will prevent misuse and mis operation
6) Decentralised helpdesk system be operated
7) Proper training of all modules to all staff and officers
including those in Department functioning on the platform of PFMS be imparted.
8) Compendium of orders on electronic processing of payment be
issued for ready reference of all stakeholders.
Maintenance activity be scheduled and necessary information
be circulated well in advance.
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