Sub: Disparity in the pay scale of Inspectors Post (Group
B)
I wish to bring to your kind notice
the discrimination meted out to the cadre of Inspector Post (Group B) in the
Department of Post under Ministry of Communication in the matter of Grade pay
in comparison to the grade pay granted to the analogous cadres in other
departments such as CBEC/CBDT and Assistants in Central Secretariat.
1.
The
pay scale of Inspector Post (IPs) was having a historical parity with the pay scales of Inspectors in
CBDT/CBEC/IB. However this parity was disturbed in 1986 and Inspector Post
cadre is forced to perpetuate miserable fate by 1986 pay commission. The 5th
Central Pay Commission however recognized this parity in pay scales between
these cadres and placed Inspector Post in the scale of 5500-9000 on par with
the Inspectors in CBEC & CBDT. The
Inspectors of CBI and IB were however placed in the scale of Rs. 6500-10500.
2. However like Inspector Post (Group B),
the Inspectors in CBEC & CBDT taken up the disparity and anomaly in their
pay scales in Comparison to the Inspectors of CBI/IB with respective
Ministry/department. After negotiation, litigation and struggle the inspector
in CBEC & CBDT get justice from the Government who were finally placed in
the pay scale Rs. 6500-10500 vide the Department of Expenditure (Implementation
Cell) Office Memorandum F.No.6/37/98-IC dated 21.4.2004 bringing at per with Inspectors of CBI and IB. Unfortunately the
above grant of replacement in scale was not done in the cadre of Inspector Post and Govt. left the issue to be decided by 6th
pay commission.
3. The Sixth Central Pay Commission has
recommended merger of pre-revised pay scales of Rs.5500-9000 and Rs. 6500-10500
with a view to bring Inspector Post at par with Inspectors in CBEC & CBDT
as well as Assistants in CSS and this has also been accepted and implemented by
the Govt. Accordingly Inspector Posts have been placed in PB-2 with grade pay
of Rs.4200/- at par with Assistant in CSS/Inspectors and Analogous post in CBEC
& CBDT.
4. Now again, the Grade Pay of inspectors
in CBEC & CBDT has been revised from Rs.4200 to 4600 vide Ministry of
Finance Memo. No.1/1/2008-IC dated 13th Nov.2009(Annex-I) leaving Inspector Post in stagger. The Grade Pay of
Assistants in the Central Secretariat has also been upgraded from Rs.4200 to
4600 vide Ministry of Finance Memo No. 1/1/2008-IC dated 16th
November 2009(Annex-II) but the file
of Inspector Posts has been returned back by Ministry of Finance with the
remarks that the post of Inspector Posts is not comparable to that inspector in
CBEC & CBDT.
5.
SIR,
Your good self can well imagine the plight of Inspector Posts and as such we
are harried a lot. Sir, it is wrong to say that our cadre is inferior to any
analogous post rather we are superior to them that is why we have been
considered in Group B and given the responsibility as recruiting officers, appointing
authorities, as sub divisional officer has to manage total postal affairs. We
are investigating authority, inquiring authority; attend court cases like law
officer, handle technology deals like IT professional and process legal cases
such as police cases, forum cases, labour court cases still how we are inferior
to Inspectors of CBDT what a strange on the part of official dealing the case
in Ministry of Finance. Sir, we are recruited through the same examination
(Graduate Level Examination) as is in the case of other inspectors than how the
cadre of Inspector Posts can not be compared with other inspectors. Sir any
other cadre in analogous post is not given the responsibility as Inspector Post
has been given.
6.
Department
of Posts (Pay Commission Cell) continuously pursued the case at highest level
with Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure with recommendations of the
Secretary, Posts for pay parity of Inspector Post but the Ministry of Finance,
Department of Expenditure is not ready to take the view of the Department of
Posts positively resulting frustration and demoralization amongst the Inspector,
Posts cadre.
7.
Out
of this frustration some of our members approached Hon’ble CAT for natural
justice. Hon’ble CAT Ernakulam Bench has specifically stated in para 33 of its
judgment dated 19th October’2011 (Annex-III) that “.....the case has been
considered and the Tribunal is of the considered view that there is no
justification in denying the Inspector (Posts) the higher Grade Pay of Rs 4600
when the same is admissible to Inspectors of other Departments with whom parity
has been established by the very Sixth Pay Commission vide its report at para
7.6.14 extracted above......."(Annex-IV)
8.
Hon’ble
CAT has allowed the OA to the extent that keeping in tune with the
observations of the Sixth Pay Commission, coupled with the strong
recommendations of the Department of Post and also in the light of our
discussion as above, first respondent, i.e. the Ministry of Finance shall have
a re-look in the matter at the level of Secretary and consider the case of the
Inspector (Posts) for upgradation of their grade pay at par with that of the
Inspector of income tax, of CBDT and CBEC.
9. Since it appears that the proposal
sent by the DOP to implement the orders of Hon’ble CAT has not yet been
considered by the Secretary (Finance), we request your good self to please
intervene in the matter and take up the issue with the appropriate authorities
for an early settlement and grant of pay grade of Rs.4600 to Inspector Posts
w.e.f 1.1.2006 as has been done in the analogous post in other departments.
For this act of kindness, we shall remain
ever obliged
