RESUME OF THE MEETING HELD BETWEEN CONTROLLER GENERAL OF ACCOUNTS AND COC OF CIVIL ACCOUNTS EMPLOYEES AND OFFICERS ASSOCIATIONS ON 16.08.2019

The meeting was chaired by Shri G.P. Gupta, CGA, Shri J.P.S.Chawla, Addl. CGA, Smt. Suman Bala, Jt. CGA and all the concerned Officers were present in the meeting representing the official side.  Prime National Executive Members of the affiliates of the Co-ordination Committee i.e. All India Civil Accounts Employees Association, All India Civil Accounts Employees Association Category II and All India Association of Pay Accounts Officers (Civil) represented the Staff Side.

Before formalization of the meeting, three Secretary Generals of the affiliates of the Co-ordination Committee greeted the CGA, the Addl. CGA and the Jt. CGA with flower bouquet on behalf of the Co-ordination Committee.

Being the Chairman, CGA started the discussion welcoming all the representatives of three Associations. He stated that the Office of the CGA shall take a very reasonable stand on the issues and it would certainly try to resolve those grievances in particular which are within the discretionary area of the CGA.

On behalf of the official side, Smt. Suman Bala, Jt. CGA initiated the discussion. She reported that, there were three combined meetings with AICAEA, AIAPAO (Civil) and AICAEA CAT II at the level of Jt. CGA (one) and Addl. CGA (two). Through these activities, many of the demands of the Associations could be resolved and out 36(thirty six) demands the list has now come down to 7(seven) demands which were listed for discussion in the meeting.

On behalf the representatives of the Staff side, Com. V. Bhattacharjee, Secretary General, All India Civil Accounts Employees Associations officered greetings to CGA for his appointment at the highest level   of the organization and offered thanks to him for his gesture and response to the Co-ordination Committee by fulfilling his commitment of holding the meeting with the representatives of the Associations within a week’s time. He also expressed hope that CGA will kindly stand by his assurances of resolving those grievances which are within the discretionary powers of the CGA.

Supplementing the staff side views Com.A.B.Sunil Kumar, Secretary General, All India Association of Pay Accounts 0fficers (Civil) had offered thanks to the authorities for convening the meeting. He further pointed out adamancy and disrespectful approach on the part of the Dy. CA, CBIC, Chennai towards the CGA and other senior authorities through denial of reimbursement to TA claims of the representative of the Association from Cochin who had attended a formal meeting with the Controller General of Accounts.

Sl.No.	ITEM	Resume
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.	Staff side offered thanks to the official side for conceding the demand of Cadre Review of Group B & C cadres after 40 years of existence of the organization. However, Staff side expressed its resentment for not taking the Associations in to confidence before sending the recommendations to DoE and not providing the copy of the recommendations to the Associations being stake holders. The staff side further stated that, it  agrees with the overall recommendations  but in reiteration of the apex COC letter dated 14th August 2019 requested for corrections of the errors on the following recommendations 1. Accountants:- The proposal to place Accountant in level 5 (PB 1 with GP 2800 of pre revised pay scale)  is totally faulty on the following grounds: ·        Despite performing same work the Accountants would be getting two stage lower pay than the Senior Accountants which is totally unscientific, illogical and inconsistent. ·        Accountants have been denied the duty pay which is due to them after the 6CPC. ·        The Department is not getting the cream candidates as Accountants from recruitment source due to lower pay scale. ·        Additional financial liability annually shall be Rs. 10 crores and not Rs. 50 crores. Thefore, the Accountants should be in the level 6 of the pay matrix which is most scientific and justified. Official side did not agree to take steps for correcting fault occurred and stated that,  the recommendations are  in order and to avoid delay in processing of cadre review, correction of fault , if required at all, shall be given a thought in future. 2. Data Entry opertors: These posts were created by downgrading the posts of Accountnats in the   name of KPO  and later designated as DEO. 10 plus 2 and graduates were recruited in the grade (withoput framing any RR by the authorities) to share the work of Accountnt/ Senior Accounatnat and not LDCs. Moreover, the onus of mode of recruitment does not fall on the recruitee. DEO Grade A was never in the pay scale of LDC. The initial pay scale to the grade was abov the pay scale of LDC . In 2001 one of the DEOs was converted as Accountant. After V CPC, DEOs had been granted pay scale of UDC/ Accountant. CGA had recommended for merger of cadre of DEO  with the cadre of Acountnat/ Senior Accounatant to VI CPC. From 2015 onwards all DEOs of CBIC setup have been engaged to perform the duties of Accounants and Sernior Accountnats . As per Recruitment Rules, the DEO grade A  are on par with UDCs. 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. To downgrade the DEO cadre ignoring their nature of duties of Accountant/ Sr. Accountants and merging the cadre with the proposed Accounts Assistants being faulty, it should be merged with Accountant/ Sr. Accountant and not with the Cadre of LDC even after upgration of LDC Cadre as Accounts Assistant.  Official side did not agree to consider the matter.
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.	Staff side stated that 3 rounds of the discussion were held on the matter so far following the written proposals given by the Association concerned and   raised the following points:- 1.   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 2.   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. 3.    When the new pattern of examination was introduced in 2006, exemptions on the papers of old patterns were allowed to be continued. Therefore, there should be natural justice of allowing the candidates of old pattern to migrate to new pattern with exemptions. Moreover, there is no harm in granting grace marks also to the candidates of old pattern who could not clear the papers in the supplementary examination of 2018. Official side informed that, DOE has not agreed for granting grace marks. Further, keeping the occurrences of 2014 in view the supplementary examination of 2018 was conducted on the condition that old pattern and exemptions of old pattern shall not be allowed to continue in future. The official side further informed that the internal committee has not recommended exemption as they recommended clubbing of 8 papers into 4. In reply the staff side had argued that, when 8 papers have been decided to continue   then this recommendation of the Internal committee is not applicable. Further, the point of staff side that the present candidates have no connection with the 2014 matter has not been clarified by the official side.
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.	Official side informed that matter is at its final stage and moving positively.
4.	Grant of Group “A”” status to the Sr. Accounts officers as their counterpart working in IA&AD has already extended the same.	Responding the quaries of the staff side Official side, after a brief discussion on the status of the matter, informed that the issue is under persuasion and moving in a positive direction.
5.	Grant of promotion to Senior Accountants as AAOs under 10% promotional Quota which has been discontinued since October 2015 without any valid ground.	The matter is pending with the DOE and moving in a positive node.
6.	Revised Pay Scale of Rs. 5400 in PB2 (Pay level-9) to all A.A.Os with effect from 01-01-2006.	Official side informed that the Government has not agreed to consider the issue. Staff side stated that the demand was raised on the basis of the recommendations of the 6th CPC. Official side requested staff side to provide the information and documents available with the Association so that further actions could be taken on this matter.
7.	Protection against Cybercrime and regular induction and other training facilities for all categories of employees.	Official side informed that, some actions have already been taken keeping in view the suggestions given by the staff side and further actions are in the pipeline.

Apart from the above, the official side assured that the authorities of CBIC shall be advised to resolve the pending issues and convene the meeting with the staff side on the agenda items submitted by the Association concerned.

Problems of transfer of posts from ZAO, CBDT, Chennai to Bangalore was taken up by the staff side. Official side stated that, the matter would be looked in to.

                                                                         

(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