GDS ISSUE IN PARLIAMENT TODAY

COMRADE BASUDEV ACHARYA IN PARLIAMENT DEBATE TODAY ON GDS COMMITTEE IMPLEMENTATION

 

Senior Member of Parliament from Bankura [West Bengal] and the Leader of CPI[M] in Parliament today raised the issue of immediate implementation of GDS Committee recommendations with the modifications sought by the NFPE. The strong arguments of Comrade Basudev Acharya in Parliament today [26.02.2009] is reproduced below as per the Parliamentary Proceedings released by the Lok Sabha:

 

SHRI BASU DEB ACHARIA (BANKURA): Sir, I would like to draw the attention of the House to the plight of more than three lakh Gram Dak Sewaks. Their nomenclature has been changed from Extra Departmental Employees to Gram Dak Sewaks, but there has not been any improvement in their salary nor are they being paid retirement benefits. These Gram Dad Sewaks are the backbone of postal services in our country. They are maintaining 80 per cent of the postal services, particularly in the rural areas.

 

            Justice Talwar Committee was constituted in the nineties. This Committee had recommended to improve their salaries and also recommended for retirement benefits. Those recommendations were not implemented in spite of the assurances given on the floor of this House. So these workers had to go on strike a number of times.

 

            Subsequently, when 6^th Pay Commission was constituted, a Committee under the Chairmanship of Shri Natarajan Murthy was constituted. That Committee made certain negative recommendations and even diluted the benefits which these three lakh Gram Dak Sewaks were getting. When there was a demand for modification of the recommendation, then another Committee was constituted. That Committee also made negative recommendations. When there was a strike by these workers, they were assured that modification would be made so that these three lakh Extra Departmental Employees would get benefit. That Committee also did not make any positive recommendation.

 

            The National Federation of Postal Employees submitted a number of modifications as to how the recommendation can be modified. I urge upon the Government to take positive steps so that these modifications are made to the recommendations which were made earlier Committee and which have diluted even the benefits these employees are getting, and Extra Departmental Employees, who are demanding retirement benefits, pay and allowances are at par with that of Central Government employees.

 

            There is a huge gap between the pay of extra-departmental employees and the Government employees after implementation of the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission…..(Interruptions) Therefore, there is an urgent need to improve their salary, and the retirement benefits should also be given to this category of employees under the Postal Department. Thank you.

 

SHRI. GIRDHARI LAL BARGHAV (JAIPUR): Sir, I join with Basudev Achariyaji.

PROF. RASA SINGH RAWAT (AJMER): Sir, I join with Basudev Acharyaji.

SHRI. KULDIP BISHNOI (BHIWANI): Sir, I join with Basudev Acharyaji.

 

DEPUTY SPEAKER: All of you hear my words. Those who want to associate with Honourable Member Basudev Achariyaji may give slip.

                              

MR.DEPUTY SPEAKER: S/Shri Sunil Khan, P.C.Thomas, Dr.Laxminarayan Pandeya, Chandra Mani Tripathi, P.S.Gadhavi, K.Francis George, Adv.Suresh Kurup, S.Ajaya Kumar, N.N.Krishna Das, Ram Kripal Yadav, P.Rajendran, Dr.K.S.Manoj, Braja Kishore Tripathy, Brahmananda Panda, and Shrimati C.S.Sujatha would like to associate themselves with the issue raised by Shri.Basu Deb Acharia.

 

SHRI BASU DEB ACHARIA (BANKURA): Sir, the Minister should respond on this issue ….(Interruptions) The Minister of Minority Affairs, Shri.Antulay, is present in the House and he should respond on this issue that the Government will consider it ….(Interruptions)

 

MR. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Nothing is going on record.

                     

            (Interruptions) …(Not recorded)

 

MR. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Please sit down.

 

                                    …(Interruptions)

 

SHRI. BASU DEB ACHARIA (BANKURA): Please do not compel them to go on strike …(Interruptions) The Minister wants to respond on this issue …(Interruptions)

 

MR. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Please sit down.

 

                                    …(Interruptions)

 

THE MINISTER OF MINORITY AFFAIRS (SHRI A.R.ANTULAY): The hon.Member has raised a very vital point, and it seems that the consensus of the House is also with him. On behalf of the Government, I assure that it will be taken very seriously, and as far as possible it will implemented soon.

NFPE THANKS COMRADE BASUDEV ACHARYA MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR HIS GREAT EFFORTS TO RAISE THE ISSUE OF GDS IN A STRONG MANNER IN THE PARLIAMENT TODAY. NFPE ALSO THANKS ALL HONOURABLE MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT WHO SUPPORTED THE GDS ISSUE IN PARLIAMENT TODAY.
--
K.Ragavendran
Secretary General NFPE