Report on Pay Anomaly in respect of Ministerial Cadre

To

The Addl. Director General (Admn) &

Chairman

Departmental Pay Anomaly Committee

A.S.I., New Delhi.

Sub : Anomaly in granting of Grade Pay to LDC and UDC in the 6^th CPC–Up gradation of Grade Pay of LDC & UDC in A.S.I.- Reg.

Sir,

It is to bring to your kind notice that the 6^th CPC has not recommended vertical relativity in the pay scale/Grade pay of the LDC & UDC of the Administrative offices compared to their lower cadres. The Government while implementing the report has ignored this aspect which ultimately caused to put these dynamic young cadres in great distress. 85% of the Lower Division Clerks in the A.S.I. are appointed through Staff Selection Commission by conducting highly competitive examination, 10% through Departmental Competitive Examination and 5% through qualified Group D Staff on All India Seniority. The minimum required academic qualification for the post now is 12th Standard. Majority of the persons selected for the post are graduates and even post graduates and qualified to handle any kind of assignment including computer.

As per the work allotment for the post of LDC in Administrative Offices of A.S.I. are Maintenance of Cash Book, Treasury, Scrutiny of Works Accounts, Submission of papers related to the Encroachment cases, Issue of N.O.C., Reply to Parliament Questions, Maintenance of Service Books of Officers and Staff, Scrutiny and Passing of of Medical, T.A., L.T.C., Transfer, Reimbursement of Children Education Allowance, Works Accounts, Remittance of Sale Proceeds of Admission Tickets/Departmental Publications in time to time, Preparation and forwarding of Pension Papers, Grant of Annual Increment, Earned leave/Commuted Leave, inward-outward registers, Preparation of arrear statement, Typing of letters, Maintenance of Stock and Sale of Admission Tickets, Departmental Publications, Filing and any other works assigned by the higher authorities in time to time etc and accordingly the pay scale for the post has been decided by the successive pay commissions. Since practically the work allotted/done by them-qualitatively and quantitatively are many fold higher than the prescribed allotment, the pay scale granted to them on the lines of DoPT manual and Allotment of duties in the A.S.I. was not sufficient and as such several of the major Department viz. Income Tax, Central Excise, etc. have upgraded these posts to the pre-revised scale of 4000-6000/4500-7000 in the nomenclatures to suit the concerned Department through restructuring etc.

Moreover, the job profile of the post of LDC has undergone significant changes after introduction of modernization in Government offices. Now, computers have taken over the place of Manual/Electronic Typewriters. As a result LDC & UDC have been trained to work in various computer applications viz. Word Processor, M.S., Excel etc without granting the minimum pay scale prescribed for doing work in computers. Moreover, they are also engaged in day-to-day work using the various software viz. pay bill software, income tax software, uploading of details of officials covered under New Pension Scheme etc.

The offices of the Archaeological Survey of India, especially its field offices are functioning smoothly virtually due to the fact that LDCs & UDCs are shouldering heavy responsibilities. Here LDCs have been allotted major sections. Similar is the position of other subordinate offices especially the smaller offices and even then the Pay Commission has not considered adequate pay for the work done by them. This has affected desperately to the enthusiasm of this young and talented cadre in the Government Offices.

These facts were well aware to the Government while implementing 6th CPC report/MACP and yet any action to improve the grade pay of the LDC & UDC has not taken. Mean while the pay scale/grade pay of the erstwhile Group D has been increased manifold by granting 3 ACP by ignoring the promotions/ACP granted to them in the pre-revised pay scale which awarded them double benefit. As a result they got a very upper hand over the pay structure of the LDC/UDC. Similarly, the posts holding the pre-revised pay scale 5000 have been granted 3 fresh ACP under MACP by ignoring promotions and ACP given in the past. While welcoming this decision, we are compelled to put up the demand to increase the grade pay of the LDC/UDC on the following reasons:

1. Lower Division Clerks in the Central Government Office have been appointed through Staff Selection Commission by conducting highly competitive examination.

2. Major Departments have upgraded the post by granting 4000-6000/4500-7000 pre-revised pay scale through cadre restructuring.

3. The pay band of Group D, LDC & UDC are same. The status of one particular post in the Sixth Pay Commission is considered by grade pay. The grade pay of LDC is Rs. 1900/- whereas a Group D getting MACP will be placed in a grade pay of Rs. 2400/-. This is highly demoralizing.

4. In the subordinate offices of A.S.I., the L.D.C’s ave been allotted major sections/work viz., Establishment, Accounts, Budget, Income Tax, Monuments, Works, Treasury, Store etc., worth to do by Assistant and Office Superintendents(Grade pay 4200) with the responsibility of noting & drafting of the respective seats. Moreover, several of the Ministerial Cadres especially in the Circles, Branch Offices and Booking Counters are lying vacant, the duties and responsibilities of the such posts has to be forcibly shared by the staff on roll in public interest which ultimately falls on the shoulders of LDC’s/UDC’s.

5. The LDC/ UDC in the Central Government offices especially in the smaller office are highly trained to handle computers, the offices who got trained them to handle the computers have not bothered to recommend the up-gradation of their scale/grade pay at-least to the minimum of the EDP staff. The working of the EDP staff and LDC are different. The EDP has only to enter the data given to them into a specific programme where as the LDC has to create data/letters in connection with sections allotted to them and type(including typing it by creating minor programmes in the MS Excel etc) it in various software applications.

6. A comparative study of the duties and pay scale granted to group D and LDC during 5th & 6th Pay Commissions are given below:

(i) COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE SCALES DURING 5TH PAY COMMISSION

Group D

Educational Qualification : 5^th /8^th Standard

Mode of Selection : By local offices from the list of candidates supplied by the EE
Duties prescribed : Watch and Ward of Monuments/Museums, To carry messages, papers, registers, files, circulars, letters etc. from one place to another inside office or outside. To affix stamp on letters/parcel. Assist Despatch clerk. To attend officers etc in connection with their official duties

Pay Scales of group D post entry level and their promotion posts:

S-1 2550-3200

S-2 2610-3540

S-3 2650-4000

S-4 2750-4400

ACP
1st. 2610-3540 (12 Years)

2nd 2750-4400 (24 Years)

LDC

Educational Qualification : Matriculation or equivalent with typing speed 40 wpm/ Knowledge of operating computers.

Mode of Selection : By highly qualified examinations conducted by the Staff Selection
Commission., Departmental Competitive Examination and All India Seniority through qualified Group D

Duties prescribed : Doing the work of various sections of Administrative branches of the Office, operation of computer, noting/drafting on the matters of the
section dealt. Doing Accounts work, Income Tax, Budget work etc. and
all the work assigned by the officer from time to time.

Pay scale of LDC & Promotion posts

S-5 LDC 3050-4590

S-7 UDC 4000-6000

S-9 Assistant 5000-8000

S-10 Office Superintendent 5500-9000

S-11 AAO 6500-10500

ACP
1st 4000-6000 (12 Years)

2nd 5000-8000 (24 Years)

(ii) COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE SCALES/GRADE PAY DURING 6TH PAY COMMISSION

Group D (Upgraded Gr C)

Educational Qualification : 5^th /8^th Standard plus group C training
Mode of Selection : By local offices from the list of candidates supplied by the EE and through open Advertisement in Employment News and leading Newspapers.

Duties prescribed : Duties not prescribed as yet, thus continuing the duties done by
them so far.

Pay Scales/Grade Pay:Rs. 5200-20200 Grade Pay 1800

MACP
1st. 5200-20200 Grade Pay 1900 (10 years)

2nd 5200-20200 Grade Pay 2000 (20 Years)

3rd 5200-20200 Grade Pay 2400 (30 years)

LDC

Educational Qualification : 12th Standard with typing speed 40 wpm/ Knowledge of operating computers

Mode of Selection: By highly qualified examinations conducted by the Staff Selection
Commission., Departmental Competitive Examination and through qualified Group D on All India Seniority.

Duties prescribed : Doing the work of various sections of Administrative branches of the Office, operation of computer, noting/drafting on the matters of the section dealt. Doing Accounts work, Income Tax, Budget work etc. and any other works assigned by the officer from time to time.

Pay scale of LDC & Promotions posts

Rs. 5200-20200 Grade Pay 1900

Rs. 5200-20200 Grade pay 2400

Rs. 9300-34800 Grade pay 4200

Rs. 9300-34800 Grade Pay 4600

MACP
1st 5200-20200 Grade Pay 2000

2nd 5200-20200 Grade Pay 2400

3rd 5200-20200 Grade Pay 2800

This is quite evident that the position of LDC& UDC in the Government of India Offices has gone down in the Sixth Pay Commission. A Group D (now upgraded Group C without work assignment) official with comparatively less qualification and work norms is getting more benefit than an LDC, in comparison to the 5th Pay Commission pay scales, who is basically responsible for smooth running of the offices.

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 Group D posts. In the 6th Pay Commission the pay band of Group D, LDC & UDC are same and Grade pay of LDC is 1900/- and that of Group D through MACP is 2400/-. Thus the pre-revised pay scale of LDC & UDC may be merged for granting Rs. 2800/- grade pay, which is the immediate higher grade pay of Rs. 2400/- granted as 3rd ACP to erstwhile group D staff. In order to remove this anomalous situation, it is requested that this grave injustice meted out to the Ministerial Cadre particularly the L.D.C. and U.D.C., should be removed and absolutely necessary to revive the Grade pay of the LDC & UDC in A.S.I. Offices.

I am also enclosing herewith the letters received by this Association from the Ministerial Staff of Bhopal and Hyderabad Circles for your kind information and necessary action.

Hence, it is requested that this matter may please be taken up for thorough discussions during the meeting of Departmental anomaly committee of ASI ifor effective implementation.

Yours fraternally,

Sd/-

(B.A. Chandra Shekhar)

Secretary General