Lok Sabha Question No. 6073 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-04-04
Subject: Kamlesh Chandra Committee
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: KOTHA PRABHAKAR REDDY, VINOD KUMAR BOIANAPALLI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF POSTS

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.6073 TO BE ANSWERED ON 4 TH  APRIL, 2018

## KAMLESH CHANDRA COMMITTEE

6073.  SHRI PRABHAKAR REDDY KOTHA: SHRI B. VINOD KUMAR:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  Kamlesh  Chandra  Committee  has  submitted  its  report  on  the  conditions  of Gramin Dak Sevaks across the country and if so, the details and the major recommendations thereof;
- (b) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  implement  the  said  recommendations  of  the Committee and if so, the details thereof and the time by which it is likely to be done;
- (c) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  regularise  the  Gramin  Dak  Sevaks  in  the  near future and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (d) whether  the  Government  has  taken  note  of  the  agitation  made  by  Rural  Postal Employees seeking implementation of Kamlesh Chandra Committee recommendations, if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the reaction of the Government thereto?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE (IC) OF THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS & MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS (SHRI MANOJ SINHA)

- (a) Yes Madam.   The details and the major recommendations are attached as Annexure-I.
- (b) Yes Madam. The recommendations made by the Committee constituted to look into the salary structure, other service matters and problems of Gramin Dak Sevaks (GDSs) have been considered  by  the  Department.  These  are  currently  under  approval  within  the  Government. Once necessary approvals have been obtained, the recommendations will be implemented.
- (c) No Madam.  At present there is no proposal to regularize the Gramin Dak Sevaks. GDSs cannot be regularized for the following reasons :-
- i. The Gramin Branch Post Offices function where the workload and traffic does not justify opening of a departmental post office irrespective of the element of profitability.  The Gramin Dak Sevaks are engaged by the department for a maximum of five hours in a day and are paid remuneration based on actual work load.  The GDS are not wholly dependent upon allowances paid  by  the  Department.  Allowances  paid  by  the  department  are  only  supplement  to  the livelihood  (main  source  of  income)      of    GDS.    Therefore,    one    of    the  conditions  for  their engagement is that they are mandatorily required to possess independent source of income for livelihood of themselves and their family before they are engaged as GDS.

- ii. The legal status of the Gramin Dak Sevaks as held by Apex Court in 1977 is that they are holders of the civil  posts  outside the  regular civil  service.  The  Extra  departmental  agents (now re-designated as Gramin Dak Sevaks) are governed by non-statutory rules called  Gramin Dak Sevaks (Conduct & Engagement) Rules, 2011 which are not framed under Article 309 of the constitution.

(d)  & (e) Yes  Madam.    Department  of  Posts  has  taken  note  of  the  agitation  by Rural Postal Employees seeking implementation of Kamlesh Chandra Committee recommendations.  The  recommendations  of  the  Kamlesh  Chandra  Committee  have  been considered  by  the  Department.    These  are  currently  under  approval  within  the  Government. Once necessary approvals have been obtained, the recommendations will be implemented. The Department has already informed the Gramin Dak Sevaks unions that the implementation of Kamlesh  Chandra  Committee  Report  is  under  active  consideration  and  appealed  to  them  to withdraw the agitation.

## Salient features of the One Man Committee Report headed by  Shri Kamlesh Chandra

- o The old system of payment of Time Related Continuity Allowance (TRCA) is dispensed with  and  replaced  with  a  new  wage  payment  system.  Under  the  new  wage  payment system,  11  TRCA  slabs  are  subsumed  into  3  Wage  Scales  with  two  Levels  each  for Branch  Postmasters  (BPMs)  and  for  other  than  BPMs.  One  wage  scale  would  be common for both the categories of GDSs.
- o The minimum working hours of GDS Post Offices and GDSs are increased to 4 hours from 3 hours.
- o The new working hours for GDS Post Offices will be 4 hours and 5 hours only.
- o The Level 1 GDS Post Offices / GDSs will have 4 hours as working hours and Level - 2 will have 5 hours as working hours.
- o The Point System for assessment of workload of BPMs has been abolished.
- o The new wage payment system is linked to revenue generation of GDS Post Offices. Under the new system, there will  be  no  increase  in  wages  of  BPMs  from  Level  -1  to Level -2 on the basis of workload but the same will be increased based on achievement of  prescribed  revenue  norms  which  is  fixed  at  100%  for  normal  areas  and  50%  for special areas.
- o The  GDS  Post  Offices  not  achieving  the  prescribed  revenue  norm  within  the  given working hours will have to open GDS Post Offices for minimum of additional 30 minutes beyond the prescribed working hours.
- o The GDS BPMs will be paid Revenue Linked Allowance @10% beyond level-2 wage scale if they will be successful in achieving revenue beyond prescribed norms
- o The GDS Post Offices have been categorized into A, B, C and D categories based on the revenue generation norms. The GDS Post Office in A category will achieve 100% revenue norm. The Committee has recommended a set of actions for each category of GDS Post Offices.
- o The  six  approved  categories  of  GDSs  are  subsumed  into  two  categories  only.  One category will be Branch Post Master and all other 5 categories of GDSs are subsumed into one Multi Tasking Category.
- o The  GDSs  working  in  the  GDS  Post  Offices  will  be  known  as  Assistant  Branch  Post Master (ABPMs) and those working in the Departmental Post Offices will be known as Dak Sevak (DS).
- o The minimum wage has been increased to Rs. 10000/- per month and maximum pay to Rs. 35480/- per month.
- o The rate of annual increase is recommended as 3%.
- o A Composite Allowance comprising of support for hiring accommodation for GDS Post Offices as well as mandatory residence, office maintenance, mobile and electricity usage charges etc. has been introduced for the first time.
- o Children Education Allowance @Rs. 6000/- per child per annum has been introduced for GDSs.

- o Risk & Hardship Allowance @Rs. 500/- per month for GDS working in the special areas has also been introduced.
- o A  Financial  up-gradation  has  been  introduced  at  12  years,  24  years  and  36  years  of services in form of two advance additional annual increases.
- o The Ceiling of ex-gratia gratuity has been increased from Rs. 60,000 to Rs. 5,00,000
- o The  GDS  Contribution  for  Service  Discharge  Benefit  Scheme  (SDBS)  should  be enhanced maximum up to 10% and minimum up to 3% of the basic wage per month, whereas the Department should contribute a fixed contribution of 3% of the basic wage of the GDSs.
- o The coverage of GDS Group Insurance Scheme has been enhanced from Rs. 50000/- to Rs. 5,00,000/
- o The contribution of Department in Circle Welfare Fund (CWF) has been increased from Rs. 100/ per annum to Rs. 300/ per annum.
- o The scope of CWF is extended to cover immediate family members such as spouse; daughters, sons and dependent daughters in law in the scheme.
- o The Committee also recommended 10% hike in the prescribed limits of financial grants and assistances in the Circle Welfare Funds.
- o The  Committee  has  recommended  addition  of  Rs.  10,000/  for  purchase  of  Tablet  / Mobile from the Circle Welfare in the head 'Financial Assistance of Fund by way of loans with lower rate of interest (5%)'.
- o Provision of 26 weeks of Maternity Leave for women GDS has been recommended.
- o The  wages for  the  entire  period  of  Maternity  Leave  is  recommended  to  be  paid  from salary head from where wages of GDSs are paid.
- o The Committee has also recommended one week of paternity leave.
- o Leave accumulation and encashment facility up to 180 days has been introduced.
- o Online system of engagement has been recommended.
- o Alternate livelihood condition for engagement of GDSs has been relaxed.
- o Voluntary Discharge scheme has been recommended.
- o The Discharge age has been retained at 65 years.
- o The Limited Transfer Facility has been relaxed from 1 time to 3 times for male GDSs. There  will  be  no  restriction  on  number  of  chances  for  transfer  of  women  GDSs.  The powers for transfer has been delegated to the concerned Divisional head.
- o The ex-gratia payment during put off period should be revised to 35% from 25% of the wage and DA drawn immediately before put off.
- o The Committee has recommended preferring transfer before put off duty.

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