Classification of posts of Technical Supervisors / Rail Engineers in Railways in Group ‘B’ Gazetted

Issue of granting Group ‘B‟ status (Gazetted/Non-Gazetted) to various existing Group ‘C‟ posts in Indian Railways” with a request to classify the posts of Technical Supervisors / Rail Engineers as Group ‘B‘ (Gazetted)

INDIAN RAILWAYS TECHNICAL SUPERVISORS ASSOCIATION
(Estd. 1965, Regd. No.1329 under ITU Act, Websitehttp://www.irtsa.net)

No. IRTSA/Memo RB – Classification/2018-3

Date: 30-6-2018

Executive Director Pay Commission – II,
Convener:
Committee to Examine Classification of Posts in Group B on Railways,
Railway Board, Rail Bhawan, New Delhi 110001

Respected Sir,

Subject: Classification of posts of Technical Supervisors / Rail Engineers in Railways in Group ‘B’ Gazetted.

Ref : 1. Railway Board’s Order No RBE-I/2018/23/29, dated 12.06.2018.
2. Railway Board’s letter No-PV/VII/2017/RSRP/2(Pt-II), dated 18.06.2018.
3. DoP&T’s order No.11012/10/2016, Estt-A-III, dated 09.11.2017.

1. On behalf of 67,000Technical Supervisors / Rail Engineers working in various Departments in Indian Railways, we submit this memorandum for the kind consideration of the Committee
formed by the Railway Board “To examine in detail the Issue of granting Group ‘B‟ status (Gazetted/Non-Gazetted) to various existing Group ‘C‟ posts in Indian Railways” with a request to classify the posts of Technical Supervisors / Rail Engineers as Group ‘B‘ (Gazetted)

2. Terms of reference of the Committeeare: “To examine in detail the issue of granting Group ‘B’ status (Gazetted/Non-Gazetted) to various existing Group „C‟ posts in Indian Railways (including repercussions and modalities) in line with DoP&T‟s order No.11012/10/2016, Estt-A-III, dated 09.11.2017.”

3. Recommendations of the previous Pay Commissions not implemented in Railways

a) Third, Fourth, and Fifth Pay Commissions had recommended that the Central Civil posts be classified in Group B which were then placed in the scales (with maximum of Rs.900 & above but below Rs.1200 / Rs.3200 and above but below Rs.4000/Rs.9000 & above but below Rs.13000 respectively). Sixth Pay Commission had used a different nomenclature for classification of Civil posts (as briefly summarized in Annexure 1) but broadly followed the same pattern for segregation of posts based on level of Grade Pay for their classification.

b) All the posts which were recommended to be placed in Group B by all the previous Pay Commissions have now beenplaced in Pay Levels6 to9 after the 7th Pay Commission and as such need to be classified in Group B Gazetted.

c) The Government of India accepted the recommendations of all these Pay Commissions and directed all Departments under the Central Government to classify the said posts in Group B based on their pay scales / Grade Pay.

d) Pay scales / Grade Pay have all along been the only criteria for classification of Civil Posts under the Central Government except on the Railways which deviated from this criteria after every pay commissions only on the plea that the conditions on the Railways were different than other Departments – ignoring all together the fact that all the Pay Commissions had duly considered the prevailing condition at each level and in each department while recommending the Pay Scale / Grade Pay and Pay Level for each post and the
discrimination and deviation by the Railways was totally unjustified.

e) All the Departments had implemented the orders of the DOP&T regarding the Classification of posts except the Railways; and they had classified the posts in the Grade Pay of Rs.4600 in Group B Gazetted and the Posts in Grade Pay of Rs.4200in Group B (Non-Gazetted) as in the case of Ministry of Defence and CPWD etc where Junior Engineers (JE) in Grade Pay of Rs.4200 have been classified in Group B (Non-Gazetted).

f) Recommendations of Pay Commission on classification of posts & DoPT‟s order thereafter are placed in Annexure-II

4. Railway Board had not implemented its own decision made long back \ to upgrade the posts in the Grade Pay Rs.4600 to Group ‘B’ Gazetted

Railway Board had long back agreed with the two Federations to upgrade the posts in the Grade Pay of Rs.4600 to Group-B Gazetted and had agreed to the fact that “The percentage of Group ‘B’ officers vis-à-vis total workforce is merely 0.5% in Railways whereas it is 5.6% for All India Central Government Employees and the same needed to be rationalized”.

In the meeting convened by Member Staff (MS) Railway Board on 19.07.2007, it was agreed that there was need to upgrade the management cadre to develop and monitor the advanced technology, increased staff productivities and fast changing operation, on Railways. The meeting also took note of stagnation, resulting from non-implementation of up-gradation from Group-C to Group-B. (Record of meeting held with Member Staff, Railway Board on of Classification is attached in Annexure – III)

5. In all other departments, except the Railways, similarly placed posts in the pre-revised Grade Pay of Rs.4600 have been classified as Group ‘B’ Gazetted

a) It is pertinent to mention that Group ‘B‘ in all other Government departments starts either in Rs.4600 Grade Pay or in Rs.4200 Grade Pay. It is only in the Railways that the Group ‘B‘ starts from Grade Pay of Rs.4800 – ignoring those in Grade Pays of Rs.4200 and Rs.4600.

b) Ordnance factory and other Defence establishments in which similar type of categories are available, have classified the post of Chargeman/ Junior Engineer (JE) in Rs. 4200 Grade Pay as Group-B (non-Gazetted) and Junior Works Manager in Rs. 4600 Grade Pay as Group-B (Gazetted).

6. Member Staff had mentioned in the Meeting on 25.05.2017 that the demand of classification as Group ‘B’ was justified as there was large scale stagnation in the highest grades at maximum of the grade. (Please see views of Member Staff, Railway Board  on Classification of posts in attached in Annexure – IV)

7. Financial advantage to Indian Railways by increasing junior level management cadre:

Financial Commissioner Railway Board had long back given concurrence for the proposal of the other Board Members to upgrade Senior Supervisors from Group ‘C‘ to Group ‘B‘ keeping in view the Financial advantage to Indian Railways by increasing Junior level Management Cadre as agreed by Railway Board.

In their reply to FC‘s remark on possible financial savings, Advisor Staff &EDPC had mentioned that there will be a savings of Rs.287 crore rupees upgaradtion of Group ‘C‘ posts to Group ‘B‘ posts. (Copy of views of FC, Advisor Staff &EDPC giving justification for classification are attached in Annexure – V)

8. FC Railway Board had given his concurrence long back FC concurred the proposal on 31.05.2007 and recorded that, if at all there is any marginal financial implications, that would be more than off-set by the possible savings from outsourcing the supervisory man power through project management and consultancies for supervisions. (Financial concurrence given by FC is attached in Annexure – VI)

9. CAT judgement ignored:

CAT New Delhi – (in O.A. NO: 835 of 1989, T.A. NO: 199 -Indian Railways Technical Supervisors’ Association as Petitioner Versus Union of India as Respondent)- directed the respondents to reconsider the matter of placing the members of the Association in the Grade of Rs.2000-3200 and Rs.2375-3500 in Group-B as had been done in the case of other Government servants like Accounts Officers (Rs.2375-3500) on Railway and Stenographers in Grade Rs.2000-3200 in the
Central Secretariat in the same scales within a period of four months from the date of receipt of a copy of the judgement.

10. Percentage of Group ‘A’& Group ‘B’ posts vis-à-vis group ‘C’ is the lowest on the Railways

Percentage of Group ‘A‘ & Group ‘B‘ Posts vis-à-vis Group ‘C‘ is the lowest on the Railways as compared to all other Central Government Departments. This has resulted in a lower level of
management personnel i.e. Railway Engineers who are all working in Group ‘C‘ (as SSE, CMS, CDMS& SE/IT) even though modernization, higher speeds and sophisticated technology require more intensive management to ensure effective quality control, productivity and safety on the Railways.

In Railways Groups ‘A‘ & ‘B‘ constitute 1.2% of the total strength, while Group ‘C‘ and ‘D‘ account for 92.6% and 6.2% respectively. Whereas in all India Government services Groups ‘A‘ & ‘B‘ constitute 10.26% and Group ‘C‘ accounts for 89.74%.(Tables showing Groupwise strength of central Government & Railway employees are attached in Annexure-VIII)

11. Railway accident inquiry committees (RAIC) & Railway Reforms Committee (RRC) had recommended for upgrading of Senior Supervisors to group ‘B’ Gazetted

a) All the Railway Accident Inquiry Committees (RAICs) had recommended for upgrading of Senior Technical Supervisors (SSEs) to Group-‘B‘Gazetted so as to have the status and
powers to ensure Safety and discipline on the Railways. But this had not been implemented,thereby, adversely affecting the safety on the Railways.

b) RRC (Railway Reforms Committee) had recommended that a Diploma Holder (joining as Junior Engineer) should be able to get promoted to Junior Administrative (JA) Grade in their
service within span of 30 years – with 5 years to spare at the highest level. But it is unfortunate that the Railways did not implement either of the said recommendations of the Railway Accident Inquiry Committees or the Railway Reforms Committee – ignoring the safety and efficiency of the system and breeding much frustration among the Engineers /
Technical Supervisors due to absolute lack of avenues of promotion for them.

12. Denial of Group ‘B’ Gazetted status – is adversely affecting the efficiency of the Railways

Railway Engineers– (working as Senior Section Engineers (SSE), Chemical and Metallurgical Superintendent (CMS), Chief Depot Material Superintendent (CDMS)and Senior Engineer / IT) (SE/IT) – are classified in Group ‘C‘ even though they have to manage a large strength of workforce of Technicians, Senior Technicians and other staff working under them in various Departments of Indian Railways. The denial of Gazetted status to them, is adversely affecting the efficiency of this junior management cadre on the Railways.

13. Lack of Gazetted status deprives the Technical Supervisors / Railway Engineers, of the powers to get the work executed or to ensure discipline among the staff under them

The said Railway Engineers play a very vital role in optimizing the productivity, efficiency, quality control and safety on Railways – as site managers – for manufacture repair and maintenance of Locomotives, Coaches, Wagons, P-Way Track, Signal & Telecommunication, Engineering Works, Bridges, Over-Head Electrification and related spare parts, equipment and processes thereof, in the Production Units, Workshops, Diesel & Electric Loco Sheds, Depots, C&M
Laboratories and IT Centers.

Undermining of their role – by denying them the Group ‗B‘ status – has deprived them the powers to effectively execute their work and to get the same executed from the staff working
under them.

14. Grant of Group ‘B’ Gazetted status to Rail Engineers will improve efficiency, safety &discipline on Railways

Grant of Group ‘B‘ status to Railway Engineers will improve the efficiency and productivity on the Railways and will also ensure better discipline among over 8 lakh staff working under them and ensure safety of train services through improved quality of products and services – as had been held by various ―Railway Accident Inquiry Committees‖ (RAICs).

15. Extreme stagnation and absolute lack of promotions for Technical Supervisors/Rail Engineers

a) There is virtually no career planning and hardly any avenues of promotion till retirement even for Graduate Engineers – recruited as SSE, CMS &CDMS on the Railways. They are frustrated and disgruntled. This is adversely affecting safety and efficiency on the Railways.

b) Majority of Senior Section Engineers (SSEs), Chemical & Metallurgical Superintendents (CMS), Chief Depot Material Superintendents (CDMS) & Senior Engineer / Information
Technology (SE/IT) retire in the initial grade itself with just one promotion (from JE to SSE) and not even one promotion in the entire career in case of Direct recruited Graduate Engineers inducted as SSE on the Railways – in-spite of vast experience and expertise due to which they can be valuable assets to the administration as Gazetted officers.

16. 7th CPC recommended for elimination of stagnation at the Level of SSE

In para 11.40.113 for the recommendations for Technical Supervisors, 7th CPC said that ―Considering the feedback provided by the Railway Board and upon close analysis of the cadre structure, we are of the view that there is stagnation at the GP 4600 stage. Accordingly, it is suggested that Railway Board should consider enhancing the number of posts in the next higher level”.

17. Railway Board had already made a decision to place JE in GP Rs.4600 & SSE in GP Rs.4800, which are Group ‘B’ (Gaz) posts in all other departments.

Railways had agreed for higher Grade Pay for Technical Supervisors (JE & SSE) and asked for Finance Ministry‘s approval in item-3 of OM No.PC/VI/2009/DAC/1(Pt2)11.06.2010. ―….Accordingly Technical Supervisors in pre-revised pay scales of Rs.5000-8000 and Rs.5500-9000 may be allotted Grade Pay Rs.4600.
This is consequential to proposal already referred to Ministry
of Finance regarding grant of GP Rs.4800 to the posts
including Technical Supervisors in pre revised scale of Rs.6500-10500 and Rs.7450-11500….”

18. It is, therefore, requested that, keeping in view the foregoing submissions,

a) The posts of Senior Section Engineers (SSEs), Chief Depot Material Superintendents (CDMS), Senior Engineer/IT and Chemical &Metallurgical Superintendents (CMS) may please be classified in Group ‘B’Gazettedfor greater efficiency, higher productivity and safety on the Railways.
b) The posts of Junior Engineers (JEs), Depot Material Superintendents (DMS), Junior Engineer/IT and Chemical & Metallurgical Assistants (CMA) may please be classified in Group ‘B’ Non- Gazetted for greater efficiency, higher productivity and safety on the Railways.

Thanking you in anticipation, with kind regards,

Yours’ faithfully,

Harchandan Singh,
General Secretary, IRTSA

Read/Download IRTSA MEMO No. IRTSA/Memo RB – Classification/2018-3 dated 30th June 2018 along with Annexures.