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National Federation of Atomic
Energy Employees
NFAEE
DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY
Regn.No.17/9615
Recognised
by DAE vide DAE OM No. 8/1/2007 – IR&W/95 dated 13th June 2007
NFAEE
Office, Opp. NIYAMAK BHAVAN, Anusaktinagar, Mumbai 400 094
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Ref.
No: nfaee/sg/16/198 26.09.2016
To
The
Secretary to the Government of India
Department
of Expenditure
Ministry
of Finance
Sub: Note
on 7th CPC recommendations on Allowances. Reg
Sir,
It is understood that the Committee on
Allowances constituted by the Government hold a preliminary meeting with National
Council (JCM) Standing Committee on 1st September 2016. In the
meeting the staff side representatives presented their views on various
allowances and decided to submit a detailed note and to hold further meeting.
In this context, National Federation of
Atomic Energy Employees (NFAEE) which represents the entire non gazetted
employees under Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) would like to submit the note
attached with this letter contains the views on various allowances.
The 7th
Central Pay Commission, in its report referred about 196 Allowances and
recommended to:
·
Abolish certain allowances
·
Subsume with certain allowances
·
Certain allowances are merged as single
allowance)
·
While considering Department specific
Allowances, some of them are considered and
certain other allowances has not referred/mentioned
Under
this circumstance we feel the Committee should review the every comments
recorded by the Pay Commission on Allowances. Similarly the Committee on
Allowance also should consider various allowance, especially Department
specific which are not considered by the CPC and not recommended neither to
abolish or subsume nor enhance.
However
we prepared the note attached herewith is directly related to the employees of
Department of Atomic Energy in which some allowances are common in nature and
others are Department specific. Following Allowances are linked with various
categories of DAE Employees.
A. COMMON ALLOWANCES:
a. House Rent Allowance
b. Transport Allowance
c. Dearness Allowance
d. Overtime Allowance
e. Night Duty Allowance
f. National Holiday
Allowance
g. Dress Allowances
h. Nursing Allowance
i. Hospital Patient Care
Allowance (HPCA) & Patient Care Allowance (PCA).
j. Children Education
Allowance
k. Family Planning Allowance
l. Cash Handling And
Treasury Allowance
m. Fixed Conveyance
Allowance
n. Fixed Medical Allowance
o. Unreported Allowances
B.
AREA SPECIFIC ALLOWANCES.
a.
Special
Compensatory (Hill Area) Allowance.
b.
Special
Duty Allowances
c.
Tribal
Area Allowance
C.
DEPARTMENT SPECIFIC ALLOWANCES.
a.
Update Allowance
b.
Qualification Incentive Scheme (QIS)
c.
Nuclear Research Plant Supporting Allowance (NRPSA)
d.
Risk & Hardship Matrix
Further we request you to arrange a
meeting with the office bearers of NFAEE to present our views in person,
especially about the Allowances which are related to the employees of
Department of Atomic Energy.
Thanking you
Yours
faithfully,
(Jayaraj
KV)
Secretary General
Cc: The Secretary
Department of Atomic Energy
The Jt. Secretary
Implementation Cell, Department of
Expenditure
The Nodal Officer & Jt. Secretary
(I&M)
Department of Atomic Energy
Address for
Correspondence: Jayaraj. KV, Secretary General, NFAEE
PESS/UED; BARC, Trombay,
Mumbai 400 085
Tel. No: (O): 022 – 25596519; (Res): 022 – 25554179; (Mobile): 9869501189
Annexure
NOTE ON 7TH CPC
RECOEMMENDATION ON ALLOWANCES
A.
COMMON ALLOWANCES:
a.
HOUSE RENT ALLOWANCE
Housing
accommodation is provided to a small segment of the Civil Servants. While the
percentage of satisfaction is very high at the senior level Officers, Employees
at the lower levels are to depend upon the market for a dwelling place. Of late
recruitment at Gr B and C levels in Central Govt Offices is on the basis of an
all India Examination and the regional recruitment which was in prevalence a
decade back has been dispensed with. Once, recruited, he/she is perforce to be
posted outside his/her home state making it necessary to search for a dwelling
unit at the place of his/her posting and
compete with those workers in the private sector whose salary levels in
certain cases are phenomenally high. Housing in the country, despite
introduction of various projects, tax concessions etc, continues to be a
seller’s paradise. A simple scrutiny of the rate of increase in the cost of
construction and the rates quoted by the property dealers, real estate agents
and tenant facilitators will reveal the extent of escalation in rent over the
last a decade.
In Para
8.7.14 the 7th CPC has made a bald statement that with the increase
in Basic pay most of the employees will be able to afford rented houses as per
their entitlement. The Chart given under Para 8.7.14 indicates the rent
increases over a period between 2006-14. The rent is shown to have gone up by
118% by 2014. The Commission has sourced the house rent index figures from
AICPI (IW). We have no hesitation to state that the Commission’s observation
based upon the most unreliable data must be discarded. Even according to the
said data, which only indicates the figures upto 2014, the registered increase
was 118%. The progression between 2009 to 2014 from 136 to 168 gives an average
increase of 22 points. This reads as much similar to the progression of the
AICPI (IW) prepared by the Indian Labour Bureau Shimla, whose commodity prices
have been adopted by the 7 CPC for minimum Wage computation.
How divorced
those rates are from the reality in the market has been explained with facts
and figures in our letter dated 10.12.2015 to the Chairman, Empowered Committee
of Secretaries. Even if one bases the computation on such unreliable data, the
hypothetical progression of the housing index by end of 2015 shall be 279-290
which warrant an increase by 136%.
Relating the
index figures indicated in chart under Para 8.7.14 to the DA percentage as on
1.1.2016.(125%), the ratio obtaining both in H1 and H2 i.e. 123 to 260 (2014)
and 126 to 268 (2014) are 2.11 and 2.13 respectively. If the same is calibrated
to 125% as on 1.1.2016, the ratio shall be 2.64 and 2.66. This will necessitate
raising the HRA to 33.13% in Metro Cities, 22% in Y Class Cities and 11.12% in
Z class towns.
The
hypothetical progression on average basis will also make it necessary to
compensate housing expenses at 29.7% in Metro Cities and 19.74% in Y class
Cities and 9.87% in Z class towns.
The
Commission is on record to state that the house rent factor in AICPI (IW) is on
an average 15.27. The 6th CPC has indicated the factor at 8.67 and
has been on record to state that the factor is not uniform at all places. The
rates between Metro cities and small towns vary violently. This apart the
Commission has applied a factor of 0.8 to all allowances, which are not cost
indexed on the specious plea that wages per- se has been increased. While the
Basic wages registered a paltry rise of 14% over a period of ten years (1.4%
per annum) how justified is the stand of 7th CPC to apply a factor
0.8 to suppress the quantum of allowances is beyond comprehension. The
Commission has proceeded with the assumption that the grant of 30,20 and 10% of
the determined basic pay was a full and
perfect reimbursement of expenses
incurred by the Government employees on
housing, which is undoubtedly erroneous as could be evidenced from the observation
of the 6th CPC itself. Even
if all these untenable contentions of 7 CPC and the unreliable statistics are
taken into account, still it is clear that in order to maintain the present
compensation level, the commission ought to have maintained the status quo in
respect of rates of HRA and should not have reduced it by the application of
0.8 factor. We, therefore, request for the reasons adduced above, that the HRA
may be retained at the levels determined by 6th CPC i.e. 30, 20, and
10 per cent of Basic pay for X,Y, Z class of cities and towns respectively.
b. TRANSPORT ALLOWANCE
Since the 7th
CPC has decided to raise the minimum wage by 14.29%. The fixed Transport Allowance also ought to
have been raised by the same percentage over and above the quantum obtained on
the application of the multiplication factor of 2.25. Accordingly, the Transport Allowance with DA
component should also enhanced by 14.22%. If that be the case the first slab in
Metro and non metro cities would be Rs.8224 and Rs.4112 respectively. Taking
into account the cushion available for Officers who are in Pay Level 9 and
above, we suggested first slab at Rs 8200 and 4100 respectively for Metro and
non metro cities.
Those in the
PB1 drawing pay above Rs. 7,440/- will stand to lose on implementation of the 7th
CPC recommendations. As on 1.1.2016, all of them are presently drawing Rs 3600
as TPTA. Once the recommendations are accepted their TPTA will get reduced to
Rs 1350/- We solicit the kind reference of the Committee to the observation of
7th CPC to Para 8.15.52 which is reproduced hereunder.
“The second
issue is whether Transport Allowance should be the same for all personnel
posted at the same place. Here the Commission feels that a question of status
of employees involved and hence, complete parity is not possible.”
The Number of
employees in Level 1 and 2 who were below 7,440/- is very insignificant. The
MTS, on recruitment get Rs. 7000/- as pay. Either a promotion to the next
higher grade or the annual increments will enable him to cross the 7440 in a
period of 3 years. The moot question is whether for the purpose of maintaining
the status, the low paid workers must be kept in perpetual penury or not.
Without compromising the recommendations of 7 CPC (i.e. complete parity is not
possible) the suggestion made by the Staff Side in its memorandum dated
10/12/2015 may be accepted making two levels as under:
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PAY LEVELS
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TRANSPORT ALLOWANCE
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A 1 CITIES
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OTHER CITIES
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Level 9 and above
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Rs 8200 + DA
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4100+DA
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Below Level 9
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Rs.4100+DA
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2050+DA
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The transport
allowance, when it was introduced was made to be fully exempt from the ambit of
Income tax. Prior to the implementation of the 6th CPC the transport
allowance had a maximum ceiling of Rs. 800/-.
The I.T. Act provided for an exemption upto the level of Rs. 800. However, when the revision took place in
2006, the consequential rise in the quantum of exemption under I.T. Act was not
made with the result that a portion of the Transport allowance became
taxable. It is, therefore, necessary
that the exemption which was available for Transport allowance must be
re-introduced with an inbuilt provision to take care of the increase that would
come about as and when the DA rates are increased.
c. DEARNESS ALLOWANCE
The Dearness
Allowance (DA) is regulated based on the Price Index of the Labour Ministry
which have been sourced from Labor Bureau, Shimla. It has been established that
the rates quoted by the Labour Bureau was far less than that of the real rate
during that period across the country.
While working
out the Minimum Pay we found the following erroneous mistakes in the data
provided by the Labor Bureau, Shimla:
·
The
rate quoted by Labor Bureau is unbelievable and misguiding. For example, the rate of whole Wheat at Ernakulam,
Mundakkayam, Quilon, Talcher, Ghaziabad, Asansole, Durgapur, Haldia, Howrah,
Jalpaiguri, Kolkatta, etc. shown as Rs 5 to 10 where as other places of the
country the rate was shown as Rs 15 to 35.
·
Similarly
when the rate of Wheat Atta verified the
rate at Tinsukia, Silchar, Jorhat, Tezpur, Himachal; Pradesh, Darjiling,
Jalapiguri, Siliguri recorded as Rs 2 to 10 when other places in the country
the rate was recorded as Rs 20 to 40.
·
Another
disparity was seen in the rate of Whole Wheat and Wheat Atta. This also recorded in places like Himachal
Pradesh, Giridih, Ranchi, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur, Nagpur,
Hyderabad, Darjiling, Jalpaiguri, Siliguri, etc. It has been gone such an extend make the system as mockery at Darjeeling
Whole wheat is costing Rs 13.55 and Wheat Atta cost Rs 2.11 and in Jalapiguri
Whole wheat costs 10.59 and for Atta just Rs 3.01 and at Siliguri Whole wheat
costs Rs 13.05 and for Atta just Rs5.08. It is only the Labor Bureau,
Shimla how the rate of Whole Wheat shall be higher than Wheat Atta at the same
location as there are processing charges of grinding, packing etc involved.
·
Also
it found that the rate of various items are stationary for years together,
where as in market the rate s are fluctuating upword in every months.
Under this
circumstance the data for evolving Price Index to derive the DA entitlement for
Government Employees should be authentic and transparent.
Further it is
noted that the Price Index is deriving by taking 12 months average of the
commodities values and deriving the DA for 6 months. So repeated taking into
consideration of the previous 6 month average which already commuted to derive
the DA, which is not justifiable and hence the 6 month average only should be
taken for calculating DA.
d. OVERTIME
ALLOWANCE
In Para
8.17.97 of the Report the 7th CPC has made the following
recommendations:
“ Hence while
this commission shares the sentiments of the predecessors that Government
offices need to increase productivity and efficiency and recommended that OTA
should be abolished (except for operational staff and industrial employees who
are governed by statutory provisions) at the same time it is also recommended
that in case the Government decided to continue with OTA for these categories
of staff for which it is not statutory requirement, then the rate of OTA for
such staff should be increased by 50% from their current levels”.
OTA rates
were last revised in the year 1987, i.e. about 30 years before. Even though an
arbitration award for enhancement is given, the same is also pending
implementation for the last 20 years. After 7th CPC revision, one
hour wage of an MTS is Rs. 75/- whereas rate for one hour OTA is Rs.15.85 only.
Hence it is requested that overtime allowance wherever sanctioned must be based
upon the actual basic pay of the entitled employee.
The issue was
agitated before the Board of Arbitration, having settled for a disagreement at
the National Council. The Board of Arbitration had categorically stated that
the allowance must be linked with the Basic Pay and should not be based upon
imaginary or notional amount. In contravention to the solemn assurance given at
the time of setting up the JCM, the Government moved resolution before
Parliament, which is still pending. The 7th CPC recommendation is
without factoring facts and therefore the Committee should recommend to the
Government that as an when workers are deployed for overtime, they must be paid
the OTA based upon the Pay of the concerned individual worker. In other words,
the OTA has to be twice the hourly duty salary of the concerned employee with
the other stipulations under the Rules.
Current levels of Overtime Allowance for those
employees who are not covered by statutory provisions are regulated based on
the pay structure as on 31.12.1995.
There are certain Departments carry out its
activities in the Round the Clock shift to continue the activities for
uninterrupted functioning. In such establishment it is equally binding on the
worker to continue in their duty, if their reliever has took leave or could not
report to duty due to emergency etc. Department like, Postal, Defence,
Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space, etc are some of major
Departments having the Round the Clock Shift duty. Runs
In the Scientific Establishments like Department of
Atomic Energy its activities of the R& D units are similar to the
Industrial nature of job. But being R&D establishments, such units has not
been brought under the purview of Statutory Rules and hence denying the Revised
overtime Allowances, though such departments brought under Rule promulgate by
the Government of India similar to the Statutory Rules. (For example Department
of Atomic Energy introduced Atomic Energy Factories Rule in conformity with
Factories Act)
In such situation, employees who are compelled to
continue their duty after their normal duty should be compensated with proper
wages. The present rate of Overtime Allowance calculating hypothetically
relating to the pay of the 4th CPC is much lesser than the daily
wages of an unskilled casual worker.
Therefore
Government should increase the rate of OTA for those employees who are not
covered by statutory provisions are regulated based on the new pay structure
and OTA rate prevails in the Department.
e. NIGHT DUTY ALLOWANCE
7 CPC vide
their recommendation in Para 8.17.77 proposed to revise the Night Duty
Allowance and suggested to extend to all employees across all
ministries/departments who were already in receipt of Night Duty Allowance
(NDA).
Since Night
Duty Allowance is extended to the night workers as compensation to recognise
the nature of night work as stated the Night Work Convention, 1990 of
International Labour Organisation, the Night Duty Allowance should extend to
all employees who are performing the Night duty irrespective of their pay and
grade.
Accordingly
we propose to the Government to make necessary amendments in the 4th
recommendation contain in the above referred para No. 8.17.77 so that all
employees performing night duty shall get the Night Duty Allowance.
f. NATIONAL HOLIDAY ALLOWANCE
The 7th
CPC has recommended to revise the National Holiday Allowance in Para No. 8.6.11
“Recommended to increase by 50% to the non gazetted
Railway employees who are rostered to work on a “National Holiday. The rate of
Allowance will further increase by 25% each time DA rises by 50%”
There are employees working in the similar condition
to that of Railways on “National Holidays” in other Ministries and Departments
such as Defence, Postal, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space, etc.
where the employees working in round the clock shift irrespective of holidays
to continue the activities un interrupted as in Railways. .
All non
gazetted employees of these departments who are regularly working in National
Holidays also should extended the National Holiday Allowances
g. DRESS ALLOWANCES
Pay Commission Recommended on Dress
Allowance vide Para No. 8.16.14 that
“all uniform related
Allowances be subsumed in a single Allowance namely Dress Allowance.”
The 7th CPC recommended
four slabs of Dress allowance per year for various categories of employees. In
the Department of Posts there are about 75000 Postmen and Multi-Tasking staff
wearing uniform. Their name is not mentioned in the category of employees shown
in the table. Even if it is included in the other categories of staff, then the
Dress Allowance per year will be Rs.5000/- only. At present the Postmen/MTS
staffs of Postal department is getting more than Rs.5000/- for uniform plus
washing allowance. Hence it should be made clear under which category the
Postmen and MTS staffs of Postal department are to be included, in the dress
allowance table recommended by the 7th CPC.
Further the
Pay Commission recommended subsumes various other factors such as washing Allowances,
Shoe Allowances, etc.
Washing
Allowances for Nursing Staff was at higher rate considering the importance of
the hygienic conditions. Nursing Staff use to get Rs. 750 as Uniform Allowance
and Rs450 as washing Allowance per month. It means in a year Nurses use to get
Rs 14400 (750 + 450 X 12 = 14400).
Similarly
Shoe Allowances has been given to various para military staff and other
security personnel to maintain the proper dress code, etc.
Thus it has
been right away snatched by subsuming it with Dress Allowance and hence the
amount of Rs. 10000/- (which is much less than what they were getting already)
for Dressing Allowance shall be meagre amount to maintain the dress code for
various categories of employees such as Nurses, Security Personnel in the para
Military forces such as CRPF, CISF, Security forces of various Departments,
etc. Police
Considering
the various factors of subsuming Uniform allowance, washing allowance, Shoe
Allowance, etc. ceiling for Dress Allowance should be enhanced further.
Accordingly suggest Dress Allowance
should be raised to Rs 20,000/- p.a. from the proposed Rs10,000/-
h. NURSING ALLOWANCE
The 6th
CPC granted this allowance to the Nursing staff in Government run hospitals
taking into account the hazardous, and arduous nature of jobs they are
entrusted with. The 6th CPC
had granted a lump sum of Rs. 4800 to all Nursing Staff. No doubt they were also granted certain other
allowances, viz. the Uniform allowance, Washing Allowance and messing allowance
etc. It could be seen that the quantum of Rs. 4800 works out to be 34.53% of
the PB and Grade Pay of a new entrant. With the other related allowances, it
had amounted to Rs. 6075. Since the Washing Allowance and the Uniform allowance
would be subsumed in the newly created Dress Allowance, they will still stand
to lose messing allowance of Rs. 75/-. This apart, it may be noted that the
washing allowance for the Nursing Staff was far greater than other uniformed
personnel for their requirement emanating from the characteristics of their job
was considered higher. The Pay
commission’s observation that the Nursing Allowance is already at an
appropriate level is bereft of any logic in the absence of details as to how
the Commission has come to this conclusion.
As indicated above the allowance was at the level of 34.53% of the
minimum of a new entrant or at 21.73 of the mean of the minimum and maximum of
the pay band. If the same percentages are applied to the minimum and mean of
the pay scale at Level 7 of the 7th CPC, the Nursing Staff would be
entitled to the Nursing allowance at Rs. 14,995 and 15503 respectively.
If the general principle enunciated by the
Commission is applied, the allowance will have to be enhanced by the
multiplication factor of 2.25, which works out to Rs. 10800. We request the Committee to look into the
matter and take appropriate decision to raise the Nursing allowance. For the
reasons mentioned in the preceding para, the Nursing staffs is entitled for a
different treatment in respect of washing allowance
i. HOSPITAL
PATIENT CARE ALLOWANCE (HPCA) & PACIAENT CARE ALLOWANCE (PCA)
The
Pay Commission recommended to bring the HPCA and PCA under the Risk and
Hardship Matrix and recommended vide in Para 8.10.70 that HPCA and PCA shall be
in the Cell R1H3 by subsuming the HPCA and PCA.
It
further recommends that HPCA and PCA should not be extended to the Ministerial
staff working on the premises of the hospital area carries the risk of
communicable disease.
By
virtue of abolition of Group D post, now the HPCA and PCA shall be eligible
only for Group C employees.
We
suggest that as per the existing provision the ministerial staff working on the
premises of the hospital area carries the risk of communicable disease should
continue the HPCA and PCA as per the recommended Risk and Hardship Matrix.
Similarly,
the employees’ changes their grade by virtue of promotion in to Group B, but
the nature of job is continue the same should extend the HPCA and PCA as per
the recommended Risk and Hardship Matrix.
j. CHILDREN EDUCATION ALLOWANCE
The
recommendation of the 7th CPC not to extend the ambit of Children
Education allowance to the Graduate and Post Graduate level is, in our opinion,
not based on any sound principle. An employee is confronted with a drop in
emoluments when his child is to prosecute higher studies beyond the higher
Secondary level as the children education allowance gets dispensed with. .
Unlike in the secondary level of education, the Governmental institutions are
comparatively lesser. Most of the
private institutions charge exorbitant amount of fees. The 7th CPC has recognised these
facts, which were brought to its notice through our written memorandum and oral
submissions. We request the Committee to
look into this aspect and consider extending the benefit of CEA to the Graduate
and post graduate levels at least to the extent of the fees and hostel fees on
par with the rate of the Governmental institutions as the maximum admissible
amount.
k. FAMILY PLANNING ALLOWANCE
The
discontinuance of this allowance is recommended by the 7th CPC on
the ground that the incentive scheme has outlived its propose, if not entirely
at least among the middle class who constitute the majority of the government
employees. While we leave it to the Government’s wisdom of the continuance or
otherwise of the scheme, we suggest that the benefit given earlier must out
not to be withdrawn. In other words those who were granted the increment or
allowance as the case may be allowed to retain it as otherwise it will result
in a drop of emoluments for them.
l. CASH HANDLING AND TREASURY ALLOWANCE
In para
8.10.9 the 7th CPC has given the present rate of this allowance. If
the Govt. is able to abolish the cash transactions altogether the
recommendation of the Commission can have meaning and substance.. It could be
seen that this allowance is related to the average quantum of Cash handled per
month. In certain departments like Postal and Revenue, it is difficult to
dispense with the cash transactions totally.
Over the years the quantum of cash transaction might be reduced. Since
the allowance is related to the quantum of cash transactions, it has an inbuilt
mechanism to reduce the Governmental expenditure on this account over the
years. In other words, the allowance
will get reduced proportionately to the amount of cash transaction.
In tune with
the general principles evolved by the commission, the cash handling – treasury
allowances must be increased by 2.25 times as they are not cost indexed.
m. FIXED CONVEYANCE ALLOWANCE
This is an
allowance which was not cost indexed. The demand that the same must be cost
indexed like the TPTA was rejected by a perfunctory remark by the 7 CPC that
the “demand lack merit”. In the next sentence, the Commission, however,
recommend that the allowance must go up by 25% each time DA rises by 50%.
While
evolving the general principle, the Commission has stated that allowances that
are in the nature of fixed amount and not DA indexed have generally been raised
by a factor of 2.25. Conveyance allowance is a fixed amount. It ought to have
been raised by the multiple factor of 2.25. No reason was adduced by the
Commission in not doing so. Therefore, the fixed conveyance allowance must be
raised as follows:
Average Monthly
Travel By Motor Car By other modes
201-300 km 3780 1250
301-450 km 5670 1620
451-600 km 6705 2160
601-800 km 8203 2534
Above 800 km 10125 2871
n. FIXED MEDICAL ALLOWANCE
The fixed
medical allowance is granted to retired personnel who are not covered by the
CGHS. Vast majority of CG personnel are not covered under the CGHS for hardly
30 cities in the country have the CGHS facility. While the working employees
are entitled for reimbursement of medical expenses including in-patient
treatment, the retired personnel who are more in need of medical facilities had
been left in the lurch. With the
persistent persuasion, Govt. decided to grant a fixed amount as FMA as
compensation to Pensioners to bear the cost of out-patient treatment. A paltry
amount of Rs.500/- is granted to them presently as FMA. The 7th CPC
has not examined the adequacy of this allowance. In the memorandum the Staff
Side had submitted to the 7th CPC it had elaborately dealt with this
issue and had demanded the need for enhancement in the light of escalation of
prices of drugs in the country on account of the withdrawal of the
administrative price mechanism as part of the introduction of the new economic
policies. It would be pertinent to
mention that the EPF pensioners get Rs. 2000/as FMA with effect from. 1.1.
2006/- It may also be noted that the No. of diabetic patients in the country
has increased phenomenally over the last a decade as also the number of persons
suffering from cardiac related diseases.. Most of the retired personnel suffer
from these diseases and are required to spend a sizeable amount of their income
on medicines.
In view of
this, we demand that this allowance must be increased to Rs. 2000/- p.m.
o. UNREPORTED ALLOWANCES
The 7th
CPC has made a sweeping remark that all allowances, which are not reported to
it should be deemed to have been abolished. We appreciate that the said remark
must have come out of exasperation. However, it has amounted to punishing
employees for the negligence on the part of the concerned offices of the
Department. We, therefore, demand that
the allowances that are not reported to the commission may be enumerated with
the help of the concerned departments and enhanced as per the general formula
evolved by the 7th CPC.
B.
AREA SPECIFIC ALLOWANCES.
a.
SPECIAL COMPENSATORY
(HILL AREA) ALLOWANCE.
The 7th
CPC has abolished this allowance, which is provided to the employees whose
offices are located at an altitude beyond 1000 metres. The hill areas are normally inaccessible and
seldom rail connected. The Transportation of goods to these places is
comparatively costlier than to Plains. There are many other difficulties like
non availability of hospitals and doctors, housing accommodation, higher levels
of prices for essential articles and other day to day needs. It was in consideration of all these, the
allowance was originally conceived.
Since all these difficulties are still in existence the decision to do
away with this allowance is not sustainable.
Hence we
request the Committee to retain this allowance.
b. SPECIAL DUTY ALLOWANCES:
Presently
these allowances in different nomenclatures are given to the officers and
employees posted at North Eastern Regions, (including Assam), (Special Duty
allowance of North Eastern Region), Island Special duty allowance, for those posted in the Union Territory of
Andaman, Nicobar Islands as also Lakshadweep and Tripura Special compensatory
Remote locality allowance. Due to the difficult terrain and other logistical
difficulties, employees and officers were reluctant to be posted to these
areas. The Staff Side in the National Council
introduced an item for the grant of certain special allowances for the
employees posted in these regions in view of the high cost of living and such
other difficulties including the terrorist activities. The Government had set
up a committee to study the demand and the said committee in its report echoed
what was stated in the Staff Side in their Agenda note for discussion. However, when the allowances were ultimately
granted, the Government restricted it to only those personnel in All India
Services with an all India Transfer liability as if the employees who are
recruited and asked to work in those places had to face no problem at all. Against this discrimination the employees had
to tread the path of agitation and the matter was also pursued through
litigation by another section of the employees.
The Court having found the discrimination untenable asked the Govt. to
grant the allowance to the applicants.
This created another piquant situation in as much as the allowances were
granted to those who have gone to the court and denied for the vast majority of
others. The matter was considered by the 6th CPC and that Commission
recommended the grant of the special duty allowance to all personnel posted in
NE Region including Assam, A & N Islands, Lakshadweep and those posted in
Tripura. In the post 2006 era, the
Government introduced another allowance to the officers in the organised Group
A services and all India Services and the same was 25% of the salary. Therefore at the time of the 7th
CPC, while the officers were in receipt of 37.5% of salary as SDA, the
employees were given only 12.5%. The demand before the 7th CPC was
to end this discrimination which had been earlier found to be untenable by the
highest court of justice. The 7th CPC has recommended that SDA rates
would be slashed by a factor of 0.8 and wherever the newly created Tough Area
allowance is given, SDA will stand withdrawn.
If the 7th CPC recommendation is accepted in toto, some of
the employees will have lesser emoluments in this matter when compared to what
they were getting prior to 2016. As has
been pointed out elsewhere in the note the reduction by a factor of 0.8 is not
at all justified when the increase in wages was of the order of 14%. The presumption that what has been
recommended by the 6th CPC as compensation is full and perfect
reimbursement of the total expenditure incurred by an official is
erroneous. In the case of A & N
Islands and Lakshadweep, the withdrawal of the SDA wherever the Tough area
allowances are given will render large number of employees not entitled for SDA
and consequent drop in their emoluments.
We, therefore, request the Committee that
(i)
The
recommendation of the 7th CPC to the effect that where Tough area
compensatory allowance is given, the SDA must be withdrawn should be rejected.
(ii)
The
reduction in the present rate of SDA of 12.5% by the multiplication factor of
0.8 for the reasons mentioned in the preceding paragraphs must be withdrawn.
(iii)
The
discrimination in the grant of SDA between the officers of All India services
and the employees in these regions must be removed and all to be paid SDA at
the same rate as what is applicable for the Group A officers.
c.
TRIBAL AREA ALLOWANCE
In the CPC
Report, the Tribal Area Allowance has been subsumed with Tough Location
Allowances III and recommended accordingly equivalent to the Cell R3H3 of Risk
and Hardship Matrix.
Since the
State Government is authorised to declare the eligibility for Tribal Allowance,
the conditionality specified by the State Government should adhered and the
rate of allowance based on R3H3 should not be the Tribal Area Allowance
recommended by the State Government concerned.
C.
DEPARTMENT SPECIFIC
ALLOWANCES
DEPARTMENT
OF ATOMIC ENERGY
a.
UPDATE ALLOWANCE
Pay
Commission Recommendations: Para No. 8.4.9
Recommended to increase the Profession Update Allowance
by 50%
Update
Allowance was introduced in the Department after the 5th CPC
recommendations to all section of employees. The non gazette staff was
introduced with Rs 3000/0- as Update Allowance. The Sixth Central Pay
Commission while recommended to enhance the Updating Allowance to Rs 5000/- per
year , it has been indexed with DAE and recommended to enhance by 25% when DA
crosses to 50%. Accordingly all non
gazette staff of the Department got Rs 7500/- per year as update Allowance for
the year 2015.
While
recommending enhancing the Update Allowance to the Gazetted Scientific
community, the Pay Commission has not been recommended the increase in Update
Allowance for Non Gazetted Employees of the Department.
It is
therefore requested that the Update Allowance of all other section of employees
who are covering under the recommendation of the Pay Commission also should be
increased by 50%
b.
QUALIFICATION
INCENTIVE SCHEME (QIS)
Pay
Commission Recommendations:
No specific
recommendation
The
Qualification Incentive scheme (QIS) introduced the Department of Atomic Energy
(DAE) in its specific nuclear operating plants to ensure the safe operation,
adopt higher safety measures, safe working procedure in nuclear plants by adhering
to IAEA/AERB/BSC standards, etc. Every operational, maintenance persons in the
nuclear plant shall be well trained, qualified and experienced to understand
the intricacy of the safe
operation and maintenance procedure of the nuclear plant.
For
that purpose this scheme was introduced through a meticulous qualification
process of completing the check list, examination, interview etc. The employees
are qualified in five different levels depending on their responsibility
qualification and experience. Accordingly the incentives are also paid in five
different levels and yearly evaluated the performance.
Though
5th and 6th Pay Commission has been given recommendation
on QIS, the 7th CPC has not been given any specific reference
regarding the Qualification Incentive, though we demanded to increase the QIS.
Hence, we request to retain the Qualification
Incentive Scheme and enhance by 2.25 times of the existing amount.
c.
NUCLEAR
RESEARCH PLANT SUPPORTING ALLOWANCE (NRPSA)
Pay
Commission Recommendations: Para No. 8.17.82
Recommended to continue and
recommended to increase the NRPSA by multiplying a factor of 1.5.
Further
recommended to restrict NRPSA upto Level 5 with two slabs.
The recommendation by the Pay
Commission was without considering the
back ground of the introduction of the NRPSA to compensate the extra work being
carried out by the Round the Clock shift personnel. The Department also failed
to convince the CPC Thus the NRPSA should be revised to its actual wage for
extra work being done by all employees working in the Round the Clock Shift
duty, irrespective of the level.
By restricting the NRPSA upto
level 5 even 30% of the employees working in the Round the Clock shift will not
get the Allowance.
NRPSA
have been introduced based on an arbitration award to compensate the extra work
being done by the Round the clock Shift personnel. NRPSA is being given in slab
wise and a ceiling has been introduced. The extra work being done by the
employees working in Round the Clock Shift comparing with the general shift
people was compensated with NRPSA. Though the name of the allowance is NUCLEAR
RESEARCH PLANT SUPPORTING ALLOWANCES, it is nothing but an allowance to
compensate Extra Duty which was extended based on an arbitration award.
By
putting a ceiling for NRPSA, all those employees performing the duty in the
Round the Clock shift has not been getting the NRPSA, though they are eligible.
At the present the employees having Rs 16670 as basic pay in Pay Band without
considering the Grade Pay are eligible for NRPSA.
To
ensure the allowance to all eligible employees, requested to the Pay
Commission, to remove the ceiling for eligibility and revise the Allowance
equal to the actual wage for the extra work. But the Pay Commission has not
been considered the same and just increased by 50% and eligibility restricted
upto level 5 employees. By this recommendation, instead of extending NRPSA to
all eligible employees, a good number of employees who are getting the
allowance also kept out of the purview of NRPSA. Further the senior most
employees of DAE also have to perform in Round the Clock Shift Duty due to the
peculiar nature of nuclear plants.
Comparing the working hours with the
General Shift people, the Staff working in the Round the Clock Shift are
working man days equal to 20 days. This was compensated by the arbitrator and
awarded to extend compensation for their extra work. Therefore they are
eligible for extra wages for 20 days.
Without
prejudiced to the demand for actual wages for the extra duty, the
recommendation of the Pay Commission to enhance the NRPSA by just 50% also is
against the analogy adopted by the pay commission. Almost all Allowances which
are not indexed with DA, has been enhanced by 2.25 times of the existing rate
and those Allowances indexed with DA increase has been recommended an increase
of 50% of the existing rate.
Therefore
we propose the following to remove the discrepancies in the recommendation on
NRPSA by the Pay Commission:
Ø
NRPSA should be renamed as EXTRA DUTY
ALLOWANCE
Ø
NRPSA should be given on actual
wages for the extra work being done by the Round the Clock shift personnel.
Ø
Ceiling on NRPSA should be removed
and ensure that all eligible employees should get the NRPSA.
Ø
Without prejudice to the above
demands, it is suggested that Government should ensure that all employees
getting the allowance as on that day of the implementation the recommendations
of 7th CPC should ensured NRPSA at the rate of 2.25 times of the
existing rate of NRPSA.
Ø
At present an employee with Grade
Pay of Rs4800 is eligible for NRPSA. Till final decision on extending NRPSA to
all employees, those who are in the Level 8 should be extended NRPSA.
d.
RISK
& HARDSHIP MATRIX
Pay
Commission Recommendations: Para No. 8.10.66
A new methodology derived the Pay Commission to
work out the quantum of risk and hardship involved in the work and accordingly
divided into 9 based on the Low, medium, and High Risk with Low, Medium and
High hardship.
Based on the new terminology
of Risk and Hardship Matrix, the factor of Risk and Hardship involved in the
activities in Nuclear Installations and in the Chemical plants considering the
material handling by the workers should be reviewed.
Considering
the functional intricacies of the organization especially taking into account
the fact that the nature of occupation of employees in the area of high level
nuclear radiation warranting a special allowance. The employees working in
various DAE units are exposed to radiation as well as to the highly toxic
gases, etc. It is worth to mention that some departments are already granted
Risk Allowance to ‘X –Ray’ Attendants, which is an insignificant Radiation
exposure occupation than the DAE employees working in various nuclear
plants/laboratories etc.
Based on
the above mentioned concept, a Risk allowance should be worked out to the DAE
employees who are exposed to high level of nuclear radiation, highly hazardous
gases, etc.
e.
PROJECT ALLOWANCE
Pay
Commission Recommendations: Para No. 8.10.40
Recommended
to continue and to be paid as per cell R3H2 of the newly proposed risk and
Hardship Matrix. Project Allowance granted to the employees to compensate for
lack of amenities like Schools, Housing facilities, Medical facilities, etc. at
the places of construction of major projects.
There are ongoing projects of
the Department of Atomic Energy at Vizag, Chitradurg, etc., and all projects
are at isolated place and facilities are not available.
Hence the Project Allowance should be paid as per Cell
R3H2 of the newly proposed Risk & Hardship Matrix to the projects at
various places.
