Regarding safeguards for Inspecting Officers against alleged subsidiary offence in a fraud case.

 

To,

                The Director General of Postal Services,

                Postal Directorate,

                Dak Bhawan,

                New Delhi-110001.

No. CHQ/POA/14/2021-23                                                                           Dated  : 02.12.2021

Sub : Regarding  safeguards for  Inspecting Officers  against alleged subsidiary offence in a fraud case.

Respected Sir,

 

                Most humbly I would like to draw your kind attention towards making the inspecting officers as subsidiary offender in different loss & fraud cases in the recent past. At present, it is the situation that if any loss or fraud case comes to light in any division or sub-division, then the focus of the whole investigation is only and only what may be lapses in the part of the inspecting officer and all the inspecting officers are living only in this atmosphere of fear that when and in which case they will be made a subsidiary offender. It is well known fact that inspection is a tool of improvement for the organization. For better improvement, questionnaire are prepared and supplied to inspecting authority for references/ guidelines.

 

2.                   It is to submitted that after the implementation of CBS and CSI, many frauds have taken place across the country in the last few years and in all those cases the concerned Inspecting Officers have definitely been punished by making them a subsidiary offender. This practice is creating panic amongst all the Inspecting Officers and this need to be looked into in the interest of the department as this situation only gives them stress and de-motivation and it is meaningless to expect a very good result from a team living in stress and de-motivation. We need not to panic our workforce but to strengthen them so that we can get better outputs.

 

3.                   Association wants to highlight that most of the chargesheets are being issued to supervisory officer just on the ground of non compliance of questionnaire in toto. Whereas questionnaire is self variable in every month or two month by issuing amendments/corrigendum. It also mention that inspecting authorities may use their mind during inspection for improvement of the organization. But, it is not being applied due to fear that they may be chargesheeted  for non-compliance of questionnaire. Even officers are hesitating to make inspection due to this phenomenon. It is not correct for the sake of development of department. Better service environment could not be created with this mindset. Therefore, association urges that subsidiary offenders should be identified based on the specific lapses/ non compliance of specific rules/ instructions not on the whims of that ‘ if you have do these things, it may not be happened’.

                                               

4.                   Association wants to welcome whole heartedly that actual problems of the field officer have been realized  about recovery of losses caused due to frauds and accordingly,  Demi Official letter No.Inv-17/18/2021-Inv-Dop dated 29.11.2021 has been issued by your good-self.

 

5.                   Further, regarding making Inspecting Officers as subsidiary offender in a fraud case, I would like to place the  following few points also in your kind honour for objective assessment of facts and circumstances facing by the Inspecting Officers :

 

i.         Divisional heads are not only working as inspecting authority. They have role of HR management of the division, cash management at Post Offices, estate management, Publicity of products at ground level, procuring business, making liaison with intermediary organization at district level, material management at division level, handling grievance of all stock holders, doing protocol duty, etc. They are sole responsible for proper functioning of the division.

ii.       There is inherent requirement of clerical assistance to sub divisional heads to cope up with the increasing burden, but till date no clerical assistance has been provided to them.

iii.      After launching of IPPB, work of inspection and verification of transactions of IPPB at all the access points have been included in the Inspection Questionnaire, but reporting pattern of the IPPB is very poor. It is also well known fact that special audit/inspection system is there in banking system. There is special team for this work. But, here is only solution i.e. divisional/sub divisional heads.

iv.     After issuing revised inspection questionnaire of HO/SO/BO, several amendments have been made therein, but it is also a fact that no tool has been developed till date to carry out the inspection easily and it has been completely imposed on the inspecting authorities to do the inspection in any way.

v.       It is fact that division has been created based on the norms which is created long back based on Maratha Time Test. No further time test has been prepared/defined whereas whole process, works, priorities, etc. have been completely changed in the department.

 

6.                   Therefore, this Association urged in your kind honour that inspection should not be a ground of subsidiary offence and the practice of making inspecting officers as subsidiary offender need to be stopped keeping in view of facts and circumstances narrated above. Inspecting officers may kindly be encouraged by safeguarding them against demoralizing by the punishment/ identifying as subsidiary offender without any proper justification.

 

7.                   We strongly hope under your dynamic  leadership our department will have lots of improvements in the coming days and we assure to extend our dedicated service to fulfill your noble vision of moulding our department as a forward looking organization.

                                                                               

With regards,

Your Sincerely,

(Rajiv Kumar)

General Secretary

Copy to :

The CVO & Sr. DDG(Vigilance),

Dak Bhawan, New Delhi - 110 001

                                                                               

(Rajiv Kumar)

General Secretary

Note : General Secretary Shri Rajiv Kumar, Assistant General Secretary Shri Permanand Kumar,  Assistant Finance Secretary Shri SVLN Rao met personally  with Director General Postal Services and requested not to identify any inspecting officers as subsidiary offender until and unless they are directly involved in the omission/ commission of fraud. 

For revival of the old transfer policy issued vide memo No. 9-23/2014-SPG dated 23.03.2017 and repatriation/ re-allotment of PS Group ‘B’ officers working outside home circle

To,

The Director General of Postal Services

Postal Directorate,

Dak Bhawan,

New Delhi - 110 001

 

No.      CHQ/POA/13/2021-23                                                                         dated 02.11.2021

 

Sub :    For revival of the old transfer policy  issued vide memo No. 9-23/2014-SPG dated  23.03.2017 and repatriation/ re-allotment of PS Group ‘B’ officers working outside home circle

 

Respected Sir,

 

            With due respect, the Association likes to draw your kind attention on the revised guidelines to be followed on allotment / re-allotment of Postal Service Group B officers from one Circle/Unit to other Circle/Unit issued vide Dte. Circular No. 9-23/2014-SPG dated 18.05.2018. Policy on allotment of PS  Gr B officer was in vogue since year back which was reconfirmed vide order dated 23.03.2017 but, surprisingly these policies have been amended suddenly on 18.05.2018 without inviting, suggestions views and comments from stake holders and the Association. Earlier policies was in vogue without any difficulties at employee level as well as employer level. Purpose of such policies should be for the sake of employees and employers. The earlier policy issued on 23.03.2017 was welcomed by the association and its members as it was issued to accommodate the PS Group ‘B’  officers to their home Circle upto the extent possible and if not possible with respect to available vacancy in the particular Circle, they are allotted to nearby Circle. This policy has a positive impact for the members/officers and it was felt that department is thinking for the welfare of their employees and setting up a rotation to create a good environment of working.

 

 2.                  After issue of Dte. Circular No. 9-23/2014-SPG dated 18.05.2018, PS Group ‘B’ officers on promotion from IP/ ASP cadre  were posted outside their home circle vide memo No. 9-01/2018-SPG-II(I) dated 06/09/2018 citing the guidelines for allotment/ reallotment of Postal Service Group ‘B’ officers from one circle issued vide Directorate letter No. 9-23/2014-SPG dated 18/05/2018. As per these policy guidelines, the circle tenure was prescribed as 3 years.

 

2.1        The transfer guidelines were further revised vide Directorate letter of even number dated 25/02/2020. According to these guidelines, officers shall be considered for re-allotment to their Home Circle after completion of one year in the Circle of posting. Accordingly, Directorate has issued orders for re allotment of PS Group ‘B’ officers to home circles.

 

3.              At this juncture, the Association would like to bring to your kind notice that still there are many officers waiting for reallotment to their Home Circle even after having completed more than 3 (three) years of normal Circle Tenure also in month of September/ October-2021. There are clear vacancies existing in many circles for which these officers have request for reallotment. But, still reallotment orders have not been issued which is causing much distress.

 

4.               The association humbly submits that those officers waiting for re-allotment / repatriation are suffering a lot and the newly detected Omicron variant of COVID-19 is also a cause of concern them. Most of them stay alone in their posted locations due to the circumstances beyond their control and they have already suffered a lot during the two lock downs enforced in the country and they are having a fear of their survival now as WHO declared the Omicron variant as “Variant of Concern” which really is causing a lot of fear in these officers and their family members.

 

5.      Due to inordinate delay in the re-allotment / repatriation, those officers are getting distressed and becoming nervous and not able to concentrate on their work smoothly which ultimately reflects the achievement of targets assigned.

 

6.         As per the information available with the Association,  approx. 70 PS Group B officers are awaiting their re-allotment / repatriation. The Association would like to cite few examples. There are 3 (three) clear vacancies in PS Group ‘B’ cadre in Andhra Pradesh Circle as on 01/12/2021 and nearly 7 (seven)  PS Group ‘B’ officers are awaiting reallotment to Andhra Pradesh Circle from outstation circles, most of them completing normal circle tenure of 3 (three years).  Similarly, there are 5 (five) clear vacancies in PS Group ‘B’ cadre in Teangana Circle as on 01/12/2021 and nearly 9 (nine) PS Group ‘B’ officers are awaiting reallotment to Telangana Circle from outstation circles, most of them completing normal circle tenure of 3 (three years). Similar situation is prevailing in almost all the circle where officers are waiting for their repatriation specially at the time of Covid -19 where whole world is encouraging work from home.

 

7.       In view of the above, Association humbly requests to withdraw the re allotment policy of PS Gr-B issued in the year 2018 and restoration of the policy which was issued in  2017. It is also requested to issue orders for reallotment of all PS Gr ‘B’ officers to their home circles as per their requests immediately to the extent of vacancies available in the circle, taking into account of clear vacancies arising upto 01/01/2022.

 

With regards,

 

                                                                                                                Your Sincerely,

(Rajiv Kumar)

General Secretary

 Copy To. 1. The Member(P) PSB Postal Directorate, Dak Bhawan, New Dehi.

                 2. The DDG(P) Postal Directorate, Dak Bhawan, New Dehi.

Note : General Secretary Shri Rajiv Kumar, Assistant General Secretary Shri Permanand Kumar and  Assistant Finance Secretary Shri S.V.L.N. Rao  met personally  to  Director General Postal Services, Member(P), DDG (P) and handed the representation. Requested to withdraw the PS Gr. B transfer policy issued in the year  2018 and consider for early issue of transfer order.  

 

 

 

 

Periodical meeting with DG(Posts) on 02.12.2021

As scheduled periodical meeting took place on 02.12.2021 in the conference hall of Dak Bhawan with non federal union/association which was held under the Chairman Ship of Shri Alok Sharma, Director General Postal Services, in presence of Shri Marven Alexandar, Member(P), Shri Arvind Verma, DDG(P) who is also holding additional charge of DDG(SR),Shri Pawan Kumar Singh,DDG(FS),Smt. Smriti Sharan,DDG(Estt). 

From Postal Officers Association (I), Rajiv Kumar, General Secretary and Shri Permanand attended the said meeting. DDG(P) welcomed all. There after agenda items were discussed. 

The agenda as follows: 

             1.Convening of JTS DPC meeting:    From association side it was placed that no DPC has been held for the vacancies after 2016. Hence, many officer are retiring without getting their due JTS promotion. Matter was discussed in details and it was stated by DDG (P) sir that they are preparing for DPC. However, it will depend on outcome of pending court case. 

             2. Extension of Non Functional Grade to PS Group B Offices: From association side it was strongly placed that in VI th pay commission, NFU was granted to PS Gr. B officer due to stagnation in cadre but in VIIth CPC, neither it has been granted nor denied. Still in PS Gr B cadre we are facing stagnation that will continue even after we get timely promotion. It was stated by DDG(Estt) that proposal was already rejected in the year 2019. On request of association administration is ready once again to submit the proposal to MOF.

             Further by the permission of Respected DG(Posts) Sir, Association was permitted to place one more agenda. From association. It was placed that Cadre restructure of PS Gr B has not done since inception. Cadre restructuring of even AAO has been done. They were surprised and suggested to submit detail proposal, which will be submitted soon. 

             After, the periodic meeting, we personally met DG (Posts), Member (P) PSB, DDG(P) & DDG (establishment) and submitted our representations on various other issues such as revival of old Transfer Policy and repatriation / re-allotment of PS Group B officers, as per their request. Hopefully, we may expect the same by next month. 

            

             One representation requesting safeguards safeguard for Inspecting Officers was also submitted and the matter was discussed & submitted before DG Sir also. 

             With regard, to JTS DPC, we should have consensus among our members regarding seniority issue. A CWC meeting is proposed to be held shortly to clear the deadlock.