Modified ACP Scheme - Modifications and Improvements sought by NFPE

NFPE DELEGATION MET MEMBER [P] INFORMALLY AND REQUESTED FOR PARITY WITH RAILWAY DEPARTMENT ON MACP ISSUES

A Delegation of NFPE met the Member [P] yesterday and discussed about the orders issued by Department of Railways for grant of MACP based on 'Average' grading in ACRs and for grant of Stepping up of pay to Senior Officials to the level of Juniors recruited on or after 1.1.2006 as in the case of Department of Railways. Member [P] assured to look into these issues.NFPE Delegation met the DDG [Estt] and requested for corrections in the MACP orders issued by the Department on the point of change of PB-1 into PB-2 while upgrading to GP 4200/- and above. We also requested grant of 4200 GP on 3rd MACP to Work shop staff who are already on 2800/- GP under the earlier ACP Scheme.The issue of discounting of erstwhile LDC to UDC promotion granted to SBCO Staff while considering MACP also discussed with the DDG [Estt]. The DDG assured to consider all the points raised by the NFPE.

We are placing some of the important issues arising out of the implementation of MACP Orders to Postal Employees and the nature of action being taken by NFPE for effecting modifications / improvements in the MACP Scheme:

MACP: Modifications – Improvements – and Clarifications

NFPE as well as the Staff Side have unanimously decided to embrace the Modified ACP Scheme in lieu of TBOP / BCR after much internal discussions and consensus. We were aware of certain negative in-built aspects in the MACP Scheme but without getting into the scheme we will not be able to attempt modifying or improving the scheme. MACP Scheme has been now extended to the Postal Employees. We are dealing with the following issues:

1. Benefit of MACP to Promotees: The promotion from one cadre to another through competitive departmental examinations also is taken as REGULAR PROMOTION under the ACP / MACP Schemes. This reduces the number of MACP benefit to Promotees. The Group D promoted as Postmen / Mailguard first and then as PA/SA will be deprived of two financial upgradations under these Rules. NFPE has taken up this issue with the Secretary Staff Side JCM National Council and Confederation leaders for discussions with the Government for modification of this contention. In our opinion 'REGULAR PROMOTION' means only those promotions an official can get by virtue of his seniority-cum-fitness in his own cadre and not the promotions an official can get only by writing an examination. Therefore all promotions attained by examinations from one cadre to another shall be excluded from the contention of REGULAR PROMOTION for the grant of three ACP financial upgradations. If this point is clinched then all Promotees from Group D to Postman / Mailguard or from LGO to PA/SA or from PA/SA to IPO etc would be eligible for all the three financial upgradations thereafter. NFPE is pursuing this issue with the Staff Side.

2. Hierarchical benefit under MACP: Hierarchical promotion system available for a cadre in a department and Financial Upgradations under the ACP Scheme were identical earlier. But the 6^th CPC has twisted this factor and recommended for de-linking the ACP from the hierarchy of promotions available to officials. Government also while increasing the number of upgradations from 2 to 3 under MACP Scheme, accepted the new factor of de-linking the hierarchical promotion from the MACP as recommended by the 6^th CPC and ordered that all MACP upgradations will be only to the next Grade Pay. This is causing damage to some categories of employees whose regular promotions are for higher Grade Pay because these officials will get only the next Grade Pay and not the Grade Pay to which he can go under REGULAR PROMOTION. For example the Work Shop Staff of MMS whose entry grade is PB-1 with 1900 GP are getting their hierarchical promotion to GP 2400. But under MACP they will get upgradation only to GP 2000/- and not 2400/-. This issue has been taken up by NFPE with the Staff Side and Confederation for discussion with Government and for modification.

3. Benchmark: Bench-mark 'Good' is compulsory for financial upgradation beyond the level of Grade Pay 2800/- as per Para 17 of Annexure-I of MACP Orders. This means all upgradations beyond PB-1 will require the benchmark 'Good' grading. The Railways have issued an orders instructing '…averaging ACRs ratings as followed in case of normal DPC be adopted with reference to the respective benchmark for MACP purposes'. NFPE has written to Department of Posts enclosing a copy of the Railway Ministry Orders demanding grant of MACP on 'Average' Grading in ACRs. NFPE has written to Confederation also to take up this issue with the DOPT for extending this benefit to all other CG employees like Railways. We have also earlier discussed the matter of benchmark with the Department and on the grounds that 'Average' was not a negative remark in the CRs as per the earlier situation, the same should not be held against the official now for granting MACP. The DOPT has subsequently issued an order for supply of the ACR Grading prior to 2008-09 for representation if any from officials before the meeting of DPCs and appropriate action by the Reviewing Authority. In the Department of Posts however there was no system of automatic review of CRS by a Reviewing Authority and all these points were discussed with the Department for not applying the benchmark retrospectively for grant of MACP. Now after the Railways issuing the order for taking 'Average' grading sufficient for grant of MACP, NFPE has renewed its efforts to get similar orders for the Postal Employees also.

4. Better Benefit under other Promotional Schemes: There are cases wherein the officials may be eligible for better financial benefits under different financial upgradation schemes like 2 ACP Scheme or TBOP/BCR Schemes that what is available under the latest MACP Scheme. For example, a Promotee from Group D to Postman and then from Postmen to PA/SA has got his TBOP already, he would not be eligible for any more financial upgradations under the MACP Scheme. But if the official continues in TBOP/BCR Scheme itself, he will be eligible for BCR upgradation on completion of 26 years of PA/SA Service. For such officials the TBOP/BCR would be better than MACP if we could not effect necessary changes in the MACP Scheme by discounting examination based promotions against number of MACP upgradations. A consensus amongst the Staff Side was reportedly arrived at to demand option for such employees either to remain under old upgradation schemes or going over to MACP Scheme whichever is beneficial.

5. MACP Scheme to Drivers: The DOPT orders mentions that existing time-bound promotion scheme, including in-situ promotion scheme, staff car driver scheme etc cannot run concurrently with the MACPs. NFPE has written to Confederation that the promotion scheme to drivers' viz., 9:15:5% Selection Grade is not an automatic promotion scheme but only prescribes the eligibility to be considered for promotion on completion of 9 years and 15 years of service and the top most 5% only get the selection grade. In fact no driver in our department is getting his first or second promotion in 9 years or 15 years. Therefore they should be extended with the benefit of MACP scheme on the same understanding that the Drivers will get ACP if they don't get the regular promotion within 10, 20 and 30 years. We will pursue the issue.

6. Discounting of erstwhile LDC to UDC promotion for SBCO officials: The Administration has refused the benefit of financial upgradation under MACP to many SBCO Officials who were earlier promoted from LDC to UDC in the Department of Posts. Such promotions have to be discounted because of the fact that erstwhile LDC and UDC have been merged into a single cadre of PA/SA for SBCO staff and any earlier promotion granted between such merged grades have to be discounted for the purpose of MACP Scheme as per the understanding of the MACP Orders. NFPE has written to Department of Posts for issue of necessary clarificatory orders on this issue.

7. Grant of next Grade Pay under MACP for Workshop Staff: As per the MACP Orders the next Grade Pay in the hierarchy of Pay Band and Grade Pay has to be granted under financial upgradation. In the Ministry of Railways the Workshop staff who were earlier granted 2^nd ACP under the earlier ACP Scheme in the pre-revised pay scale of 4500-7000 are fitted into the 6^th CPC recommended PB-1 with GP 2800. Such officials on eligibility to get their 3^rd MACP under the new MACP Scheme are awarded with the next Grade Pay of 4200/-. Similarly placed MMS Workshop staffs are not granted with the same benefit but clarifications are pending at the level of the Postal Directorate on this issue. NFPE has written to Department of Posts for extending the same benefit under MACP as like Railways to the MMS workshop staff.

8. Contradictory Clarification: In the meanwhile a contradictory clarification by the DOPT is causing confusion and denial of MACP to officials. The DOPT had clarified in contradicting its original orders on MACP stating that on completion of 30 years of service or 10 years from the date of second promotion / upgradation, whichever is later. This 'whichever is later' phrase in the clarifications is to be removed. Now the issue has been reportedly referred to Pay Commission Cell for clarification. NFPE has already taken this matter to the knowledge of Confederation for getting the contradiction cleared by DOPT.

Many of the issues related to MACP will be discussed in the Sub-Committee formed by the Official Side at the level of the National Council JCM. This Sub-Committee had been formed after the Staff Side raised the issues related to MACP in the National Anomaly Committee meetings.

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K.Ragavendran
Secretary General NFPE